My name is Janet. I’m an Applied Philosophy PhD student at the University of Waterloo. I’m an advocate for people with addiction. And I’m a runner. Running doesn’t quite fit in with the other descriptors. When I meet new people, I get asked about what I do, where I’m from, or what I hope to do after I graduate. Running, by comparison, is something I only talk about with people who know me more personally. Friends and family are the only ones that know, for example, that I got ‘serious’ about … [Read more...]
What’s in a tweet?
There’s something almost poetic about a tweet. Consider what Audre Lorde had to say about poetry: “Of all the art forms, poetry is the most economical. It is the one which is the most secret, which requires the least physical labor, the least material, and the one which can be done between shifts, in the hospital pantry, on the subway, and on scraps of surplus paper … poetry has been the major voice of poor, working class, and Colored women. A room of one's own may be a necessity for writing … [Read more...]
Climate concerns and ambiguities of consumer action
When a vegan and a cattle farmer share a table I sat down at a table, my plate piled high with grape leaves, hummus, baba ganoush, pita, green salad, and quinoa salad. The person sitting next to me was complaining about plant-based options like the Beyond or Impossible Burger compared with beef. "They're processed. It's not good for you. not like beef." Putting aside questions about "healthy," I thought this remark missed the point. I pushed, trying to expand the conversation beyond … [Read more...]
Poets for the animals
I've been thinking about story-telling and relationships with particular animals. Consider the following two snippets: Peter Singer doesn’t love animals In the preface to the 1975 edition of Animal Liberation, Peter Singer shares a story about a time he was invited to tea. He'd begun working on Animal Liberation. Much to the surprise of his host, Singer admitted that he isn't an animal lover (p. 9). Singer came to his theory of animal liberation through rational argument, not a relationship … [Read more...]
Political veganism and whiteness
This week I read what is to-date the best answer I've found to feminist scientist and philosopher Donna Haraway's critique of veganism. If you are unfamiliar with Haraway, see my previous post, in which I challenge the way that Haraway describes veganism. She critiques veganism for seeking to claim innocence from systems that do violence to nonhuman animals. I offer "Veganisms" by philosopher Robert C. Jones as a response to Haraway. Jones outlines three different types of ethical veganism … [Read more...]