Other: History/Philosophy - Relationship Human/Non-Human
Fear of the Familiar
By Lillian Shanahan (04/21/10 15:25:30)
Related animal: Domestic Pet

I found Bakers article kind of mundane. I think its important to review your relationship with animals, but I don't think there needs to be a discussion about pets verses wild. The post- modernistic idea that animals should be wild and that having sentimentality for animals is dangerous, or makes you a fool- is kind of a trivial statement.

who cares if the animal is wild or not, trying to say that animals should be "wild" is going against what the post- modernists claim to be/ do (which is break down these categories and definitions) what is wild anyways- and why is wild pure? or better than domestic. Who is to say that the animals do not enjoy their relationship with humans. Not that I agree with having pets- because I don't, but I also don't agree that people should hold wild up on a pedestal. Who's to say human beings aren't still wild in out metropolitan jungle.

I do agree that owning animals is common in capitalistic societies and that it is kind of ridiculous when there are starving people in the world and people are buying clothing for their cats. I also think that people buys animals because they can't achieve normal social interactions, or they aren't receiving attention, love frmm other human beings... which again is common in capitalistic environments because people are often caught up in meaningless occupations and materialistic motives,

I don't see having sentimentality as dangerous or wrong, I see it as the human gift, we are capable of feeling for others, for having compassion, I don't see that as anthropomorphic. Because I know the animal is what it is, and it may not think or feel like me- but is that to say it doesn't feel or think in its own way?

I am against anthropomorphic ideas, because they are a food source and we much feed on them to survive. But I don't think we should dismiss that they are also incapable of thoughts.





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