Animal Rights Education by Kai Horsthemke (review)

Kai Horsthemke's book is an in-depth examination of the influence of moral status and ethical treatment of other-than-human animals with the purpose of making the case that the "differences between humans and other animals are differences in degree, not in kind" (p. 3), and therefore other-than-human animals should be given greater moral standing within educational theory, philosophy of education, and pedagogical strategies. It is in and of itself an extensive review of the literature and a continuation of Horsthemke's animal-related scholarly interests and publications, as he has also written The Moral Status and Rights of Animals (2010) and on humane education, environmental education, and animal liberation, for example.

As a research fellow and professor of philosophy, Horsthemke presents his arguments and objectives from the lens of his discipline denoting the four-fold overarching objectives of his work: (a) fill the gap left by educational philosophers, scholars of moral education, and environmental education in which other-than-human animals have historically been given limited attention; (b) present a "philosophical normative approach to applying animal ethics, let alone animal rights theory, in educational contexts" (p. xiv); (c) put forward a description of and argument for animal rights education; and (d) provide pedagogical and curricula suggestions for various audiences concerned about improving the attitudes and behaviors toward other-than-human animals. The author makes the argument that this is necessary not only for the benefit of other-than-human animals, but for humans and the planet due to their interconnectedness, and he begins by examining nonanthropocentric views of animals. Review of this book indicates a thorough accomplishment of these four objectives.

In Part 1, Horsthemke highlights a number of moral anthropocentric and speciesist theories and ideologies in order to demonstrate how those theories are deficient in their consideration of animals while also presenting various theories and ideologies that support the growing evidence and understanding of the sentience and intrinsic value of other-than-human animals. Horsthemke continues his argument in Part 2 by including the ethical treatment and moral status of animals by presenting various educational and pedagogical approaches as a means to generate change for other-than-human animals who have historically been given limited moral and ethical consideration as well as a lack of concern for their own interests. He presents an exploration of moral education and animals (Chapter 4) as well as educational theories and pedagogies, including in the chapters "Environmental Education and Education for Sustainability, Biophilia and Ecophilia" (Chapter 5), "Humane Education and Theriophilia" (Chapter 6), "Philosophical Posthumanism, Critical Pedagogy, and Ecopedagogy" (Chapter 7), "Critical Animal Studies and Animal Standpoint Theory" (Chapter 8), and "Vegan Studies" (Chapter 9). The educational theories presented afford educators such as teacher-scholars in higher education the opportunity to consider future research and scholarly opportunities for integration into the classroom.

Throughout examination of these theories, the author provides recommendations for theriocentric (animal-centered) education for including ethical treatment and moral status of animals within pedagogy based on the recognition of the interconnectedness of people, other-than-human animals, and the environment (nature). The pedagogical suggestions serve as a prompting for further exploration of creative and innovative teaching strategies. In Part 3, Horsthemke evaluates the basis of morality on rights, particularly for animals as "right-bearers" (p. 247). He argues that animals having moral significance and rights are mutually beneficial for other-than-human animals and humans and argues for animal emancipation versus animal liberation. The book concludes with additional theriocentric education suggestions rooted in the belief in the power of education to create an improved reality for other-than-human animals.

Horsthemke's extensive work is both deep and wide in its assessment of this gap in attention to other-than-human animals in philosophy of education. He contends that the book will likely be of interest to various audiences including "academic researchers, educators, students and interested layperson(s)" (p. xvi). The various...