ReadingAnimals

This month’s issue of Philosophy Now: A Magazine of Ideas is all about animal issues. While much of the content is for subscribers only, there are some goodies for everyone. (Thanks to Justin for the tip!)

Rick Lewis begins with an editorial, Our Furry Friends, which is written from the perspective of animals who share “legends” and experiences about their relations with both fellow animals and with People.

“Not all of them eat meat,” Sasha purred. “Some of them are…” (he struggled with the unfamiliar term) “… veterinarians.”

“Veterinarians?”

“Yes. They catch you and put you in a little cage and jab needles into you, but they don ’t eat you. They just cut off your goolies and spray you with poison then let you go.”

The other animals stared at him silently. Then Patch cleared his throat. “You can’t judge all humans by the actions of a few sickos.”

Also freely available in this issue, an essay by Jeremy Barris on the relationships (that sometimes develop) between a human and a dog: , Plato is my dog, yo!: Dogs, Love and Truth.

In other words, while dogs don’t hold up their end of a conversation too well, they do instead just love us and allow us just to love them. They, and we, want what is good and real about the relationship to continue indefinitely.

This short, sweet essay is definitely worth the read.