Subhuman : the moral psychology of human attitudes to animals /

In Subhuman, Kasperbauer (philosophy, George Washington Univ.) studies human beings' complicated psychological attitudes about nonhuman animals. He argues that the cognitive sciences provide guidance in how to appeal to those with different psychological profiles (for example, politically conservative versus politically liberal) and so can be helpful in encouraging more ethical treatment of nonhuman animals. Research shows that humanity's attitudes toward nonhuman animals primarily reflect a desire to draw contrasts with a fundamental motivation to see oneself as superior by relying on ingroup/outgroup thinking. Kasperbauer introduces the term infrahumanization--which he defines as treating an entity as inferior though not entirely worthless--to draw together contemporary research. The author shows that evolutionary history has encouraged humans to see nonhuman animals as a threat, and in response, humans treat nonhuman animals as an inferior but not worthless outgroup. Kasperbauer looks at how emotions and situations influence moral behavior and what is psychologically plausible as a result. All of this information is relevant to ethicists and their appeals to the public. For instance, how one regards nonhuman animals' mental and emotional capacities informs whether or not one views them as "edible." Kasperbauer concludes with tangible advice on what will likely work (and what will not) when attempting to improve ethical treatment of nonhuman animals. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; students in technical programs--Margaret Alison Betz, Rutgers University, Camden