I ♥ My Dog

Abstract

Virtuallyall political theory and ethical systems presuppose the primacy of human beings. Abstracthumanbeings have rights,privileges, legal standing,and--it is said--claims to our sympathy.Manypolitical debates,therefore,centeron questionsof wheretheselines are to be drawn.Butmanyhumansdonotbehavethisway.People,for example,mayexpendfarmorelove, time,money,and energyon theirpets' well-being thanon abstracthumans.If the choice is betweenan operationto save theirdog's life, or saving a humanlife throughthe UnitedNations, for example,mostwillchoosetheformer evenifputinsuchstarkterms.Thisessayarguesthat people's love for their dogs transcends the human/animalbarrier, that this love overturns assumptionsabout the role of abstractionin our lives, and thatsuch attunementcan be under- stood only via newformulations of the roles of ethics and philosophy.