Call for Papers

Call for Papers: 2024 Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School

Animal Thinkers:
Celebrating the Pioneers of Ethical Sensitivity to Animals

Ethical sensitivity to animals has been pioneered throughout the world by key individuals. Some of these, like Henry Bergh, William Wilberforce, and John Wesley are well known, but most are not. We want to recognise the thinkers and doers – both historical and contemporary – who have made strides for animals, including the well-known, the lesser or not known. We are not looking for eulogies, but rather for critical objective assessments of key figures.

By using the word “celebrating,” we do not intend an event of self-congratulation. Academics, of all people, should know how important it is to engage in critical analysis and appraisal. By exercising critical judgement, we do not denigrate the work of others, but rather pay it the full attention it deserves. So let us critically examine our history through the lens of individual pioneers, both fearlessly and objectively.

We invite academics and intellectuals from all disciplines, including historians, biographers, philosophers, social scientists, psychologists, theologians, lawyers, and anthropologists to join us in recognising the pioneers of animal protection worldwide.

The Summer School will be held at Merton College, Oxford, from 5-8 August, 2024. Please send abstracts (no more than 150 words) of potential presentations by 1 February 2024, to the Director of the Summer School, Clair Linzey at depdirector@oxfordanimalethics.com. 

All selected papers will be considered for publication in a book volume or in the Journal of Animal Ethics.