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S6E2: Cosmopolitanism with Angie Pepper

In this episode, Claudia talks to Angie Pepper about cosmopolitanism. Angie explains how cosmopolitans think about justice as being global in scope. However, despite their expansive view of justice, cosmopolitan thought still doesn’t adequately account for animals. They discuss the challenges of including animals in such an expansive view of justice and mull over what entitlements they should have. They end with a discussion about the politics of pet keeping.

About Angie Pepper

Angie Pepperis a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Roehampton in London. Angie's philosophical background is in contemporary political philosophy, applied ethics, normative ethics, and feminist philosophy, and her recent research focuses on what we owe to other animals. She has published papers on the place of nonhuman animals in our theorising about global justice, and on what we owe to them as a matter of climate justice. She has also defended the following claims (among others): that sentient nonhuman animals have a right to privacy, that few nonhuman animals are political agents, that sentient nonhuman animals have a right to self-determination, that non-euthanasia killing in animal shelters is sometimes morally permitted, and that we shouldn't support zoos. Angie's latest projects focus on the normative significance of nonhuman animal agency; in other words, what other animals doand why it matters morally, socially, and politically. She is especially interested in whether domestication is compatible with animals' interests in self-determination and the demands of justice. Angie is a regular contributor to Justice Everywhere. You can learn more about Angie’s work on Research Gate.

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Recorded: 24 August 2023

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Featured: 

In this animal highlight, Virginia Thomas speaks about the maguey 'worm'. She discsusses the confusion around thiss caterpillars name as well as some of the history of how this insect has become entangled in tequila drinking cultures. Read more about the maguey worm here. 

Animal Highlight: Maguey 'Worms'

"Our moral discourse about the human-nonhuman relationship seeks to resolve conflicts between humans and animals. But we create these conflicts in the first place by bringing animals into existence for the sole purpose of killing them or otherwise using them exclusively as means to our ends. Moreover, the overwhelming proportion of our animal use involves human interests that are trivial relative to the animal interests at stake" (Francione, 2008: 164).

Thank you to Animals in Philosophy, Politics, Law and Ethics (A.P.P.L.E) for sponsoring this podcast; Christiaan Mentz for hi editing work, Virginia Thomas for the Animal Highlight, Gordon Clarke for the bed music, Jeremy John (Website) for the logo. This podcast is hosted and produced by Claudia Hirtenfelder. 

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