Human and Non-Human Animals: A Complex Relationship

Harriet Ritvo () and Rebecca J. H. Woods ()
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Harriet Ritvo: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rebecca J. H. Woods: University of Toronto, Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science

Chapter 1 in The Economics of Non-Human Animals, 2026, pp 3-17 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter traces the complex and evolving relationship between human and nonhuman animals across history, exploring the ways these interactions have shaped, and been shaped by, cultural, economic, and ethical frameworks. From hunting and domestication to spectacle, labor, and pet-keeping, it maps a long historical arc of entanglement in which animals have been alternately valued as companions, commodities, symbols, and subjects of affection. Yet these relationships, however intimate or cooperative, are never innocent. They are inflected by structures of power, shaped by human interests, and limited by cultural specificity. Even apparent recognitions of sentience or agency—seen in practices like training or co-working—remain bounded within anthropocentric systems. Emotional bonds, while significant, are not immune from complicity. As the chapter concludes, an ethical reckoning with human–animal relations must move beyond isolated moments of care to confront the broader asymmetries that define our shared yet unequal worlds.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:nrmchp:978-3-032-17580-9_1

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-17580-9_1

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