I'm writing to invite you to participate in a newly forming animal
liberation philosophy reading and discussion group.

 The focus wouldn't be on general animal rights books, but specifically on
books on animal liberation ethical and political philosophy.

If you'd like to participate, please email me directly  at
[address removed] and I will add you to the planning email list for
the group, where we will decide on what books we are reading,  when and
where we meet, etc.  And please pass this notice on to others you think
might be interested!

The group will be based in the NYC area, but if you live in another region
we encourage you to start a local book discussion group of your own.  Our
groups can communicate and share thoughts via the newly created AnimalEthics
email list that we've established.  Let us know you'll be doing this and
please provide us with an email address you'd like added to the list.


 Authors/editors  we'll read works by would include (in no particular
order):

 Tom Regan,  Evelyn Pluhar, Gary Francione, Mary Midgely, Steve Sapontzis,
Bernard Rollin, Joan Dunayer, S.R.L. Clarke, Carol Adams, Mark Rowlands,
Josephine Donovan, Mark Bekoff, Rosalind Hursthouse, Stanley and Rosalind
Goodlovich and John Harris, Lori Gruen James Rachels Paola Cavelieri Peter
Singer Rebecca Hall Julian Franklin Kerry Walters and Lisa Portmess, David
Nibert, Marti Kheel, Ted Benton, Pattrice Jones, Richard Ryder, A. Breeze
Harper,  Lewis Gompertz,  Henry Salt, Michael W.Fox, Michael A. Fox, J.M.
Coetzee and more!

Examples of books we may read:

Animal Liberation: A New Ethics for Our Treatment of Animals by Peter Singer

Speciesism by Joan Dunayer

Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism by James Rachels

Animals And Why They Matter  by Mary Midgely

The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Regan

Beyond prejudice: the moral significance of human and nonhuman animals
By Evelyn B. Pluhar

Animal Rights and Moral Philosophy by Julian H. Franklin

We'll also read books on the intersection of animal rights and other social
change movements, particularly at the level of theory. Books in this
category include:

Animal Rights/Human Rights: Entanglements of Oppression and Liberation by
David Nibert

Natural relations: ecology, animal rights, and social justice By Ted Benton

The Feminist Care Tradition in Animal Ethics Edited by Carol Adams and
Josephine Donovan

The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory by Carol
J. Adams

Nature Ethics by Marti Kheel

Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health, and
Society by A. Breeze Harper

Veganarchy by Brian Dominick


 The goals of the group would be...

 - to deepen participants' understanding of animal liberation theory

 - to enable participants to articulate reasoned arguments against
speciesism and for animal liberation in order to enlighten supporters and
convince skeptics

 - to consider how animal liberation theory could and should shape activist
campaigns

 - to strategize on how to better communicate a compelling animal liberation
message to the public, going beyond single issue campaigns and lifestyle
reform advocacy efforts.

- to improve our understanding of the social and economic underpinnings of
instutional speciesism

- to enable activists to defense the animal liberation position against
attempts to discredit and dismiss it or attempts to water it down (e.g.
acceptance of "humane meat" in the sustainable food movement)- to develop an
understanding of the history and context of animal liberationist thought

- to apply analytical tools developed by other social change movements to
the question of animal rights in order deepen our understanding of the
nature of animal oppression, deepen our appreciation for the commonality of
animal liberation and other struggles for justice, help us communicate
animal liberation to other campaigners for justice and facilitate the
development of strategic alliances.


I look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!

Adam Weissman