The Philosopher's Dog - Softcover

Gaita, Raimond

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415332877 ISBN 13: 9780415332873

Publisher: Routledge, 2004

Synopsis

In this lyrical and beautifully written book, Raimond Gaita tells inspirational, poignant, sometimes funny but never sentimental stories of the dogs, cats and cockatoos that lived and died within his own family. The Philosopher's Dog is above all a book about our creatureliness and its place in the understanding of our humanity.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

The philosopher Raimond Gaita has always been fascinated by animals- their obvious intelligence and disturbing brutality, their uncanny responsiveness to our moods and needs, the deep feelings they elicit from us and seem to return. In this marvelous, luminous book, Gaita trains the lens of philosophy on the mystery and beauty of the animals he has known and loved best. The Philosopher's Dog is one of those rare works that engage the heart from the very first paragraph and haunt the mind long after one has finished reading.
What does Gaita's dog, Gypsy, think about while she sits on her mat gazing out to sea for hours on end? Why did the irascible cockatoo Jack greet Gaita's father with kisses each morning but bite everyone else? How can we acknowledge that animals are sentient and yet deny that they have consciousness? Is it possible to love animals and still eat meat? In contemplating questions like these, Gaita weaves together personal stories-inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking accounts about the animals he and his family members have sheltered-with the reflections and analysis of a professional philosopher.
A graceful, engaging stylist, Gaita is perfectly lucid as he grapples with great thinkers through the ages-from Socrates to Wittgenstein, Descartes to Hannah Arendt. And yet, as important as formal philosophy has been to him, Gaita frankly acknowledges that he has learned much about the nature of life from Gypsy and Jack and his courageously arrogant cat Tosca. In the end, he argues that love should be the essence of our bond with animals, the critical factor that guides how we treat them and think about their place in our world.
In pondering the meaning and moralityof his relationships with animals, and with the natural world more generally, Raimond Gaita has created a surprising masterpiece, a book of startling insights, spellbinding stories, meticulous observations, and wise reflection. At once engrossing and thought-provoking, The Philosopher's Dog is a supremely enjoyable book.

"From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author:

Raimond Gaita is Professor of Moral Philosophy at Kings College London and Professor of Philosophy at Australian Catholic University. His books include the award-winning biography of his father, Romulus, My Father, A Common Humanity and Good and Evil.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0415332877
• ISBN 13: 9780415332873
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224