Feminist Philosophy Reading Group (Week 5)

Reading: Adams, Carol J. The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory. Bloomsbury Publishing USA (2015); Chapter 1, The Sexual Politics of Meat, and Chapter 2, The Rape of Animals, The Butchering of Women.

Summary: "The Sexual Politics of Meat" argues that what, or more precisely who, we eat is determined by the patriarchal politics of our culture, and that the meanings attached to meat eating are often clustered around virility. First published in 1990, "The Sexual Politics of Meat" is a landmark text in the ongoing debates about animal rights. In the two decades since, the book has inspired controversy and heated debate. We live in a world in which men still have considerable power over women, both in public and in private. Carol Adams argues that gender politics is inextricably related to how we view animals, especially animals who are consumed. And she argues too that vegetarianism and fighting for animal rights fit perfectly alongside working to improve the lives of disenfranchised and suffering people, under the wide umbrella of compassionate activism.

To access this week's reading, please email me at: charlotte.figueroa@philosophy.ox.ac.uk