Animal Thinkers

Ninth Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School on

Animal Thinkers:
Celebrating the Pioneers of Ethical Sensitivity to Animals

Merton College, Oxford, 5-8th August, 2024

Ethical sensitivity to animals has been pioneered throughout the world by key individuals. Some of these, like Henry Bergh, William Wilberforce, and John Wesley are well known, but most are not. We want to recognise the thinkers and doers – both historical and contemporary – who have made strides for animals, including the well-known, the lesser or not known. We are not looking for eulogies, but rather for critical objective assessments of key figures.

By using the word “celebrating,” we do not intend an event of self-congratulation. Academics, of all people, should know how important it is to engage in critical analysis and appraisal. By exercising critical judgement, we do not denigrate the work of others, but rather pay it the full attention it deserves. So let us critically examine our history through the lens of individual pioneers, both fearlessly and objectively.

We invited academics and intellectuals from all disciplines, including historians, biographers, philosophers, social scientists, psychologists, theologians, lawyers, and anthropologists to join us in recognising the pioneers of animal protection worldwide.

The call for papers and registration is now closed.

The programme can be found here.

Special Thanks to our Sponsors

Susan and Dan Boggio, Kimberly Moore, Kirkpatrick Foundation, and Unbridled Sanctuary.