© 2000 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
BOOK REVIEWS
1 University of Washington Seattle, Washington
Darwinian Dominion: Animal Welfare and Human Interests. LEWIS PETRINOVICH. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999. ix + 431 pgs.
Lewis Petrinovich carefully lays out his plan for Darwinian Dominion in the preface to the work, claiming his goal is to ask questions "regarding the permissible use of animals by humans," (page vii) framing these questions within philosophical positions informed by evolution theory. As such, the book also serves as the final installment in a trilogy of books seeking to apply "evolutionary principles to understand the nature of human morality."
The present volume is divided into two parts, the first detailing basic principles in support of Petrinovich's thesis. Here the reader is carefully led through a discussion of evolution theory followed by an introduction to the vast array of social interactions within primate societies. Petrinovich then provides an overview of the philosophical arguments surrounding the notion of natural rights, the basis for moral reasoning, and the issue of values, again presented with great clarity. Finally, the reader is led through a review of scientific research methods and practices, intended to address common critiques of science. This section concludes with a chapter dealing with the development of mental states in neonates and infants, followed by a chapter on cognition and the mind, where Petrinovich makes overt his belief in the biological connections between non-human and human cognition, introduced implicitly in the section's first two chapters.
Having thoroughly prepared the reader with the biological basis for his treatment of animal issues, the author turns to the second part of the book. Here, he discusses the ethical issues associated with the human use of animals, from issues of animal rights, to the use of animals in research, and, finally, to the use of animals for food and entertainment (zoos and pets). All of the material covered is timely, informed by recent work from the animal rights community and bioethicists (including the author's compelling critique of Singer's work), and clearly presented. Furthermore, the bibliography to Darwinian Dominion offers an extensive survey of the recent literature, certainly of value to anyone who is interested in issues surrounding the use of animals by humans.
Despite the virtues of the book, and it has many, there are a few places that demand critical comment. First, the historical development of legislation surrounding animal rights could have benefited from deeper investigations into the nineteenth century, especially in the form of the important studies by James Turner and Harriet Ritvo (neither of whom is cited). Without this perspective, it appears that some of these issues are completely contemporary when, in truth, they are embedded in the sensitivities associated with the nineteenth century. Additionally, the book would have been strengthened by a discussion of the Nuremberg trials and their impact on the development of research protocols on humans, requirements that led to the increased and mandatory use of animals as research models. Similarly, the discussion of vegetarianism in the United States could have benefited from historical reflection, especially as its historical position in the nineteenth century illustrates its continued role in reform movements in the United States.
Finally, a few words need to be mentioned in terms of style. Too often authors are not given the editorial assistance normally associated with academic presses. Certainly a good editor would have helped the author to become more parsimonious, thereby eliminating the overwritten parts of the book. Such a close editing may have prevented the inclusion of the large number of typographical errors as well. But these stylistic issues do not seriously detract from the service Petrinovich has provided to the biological community. Some may object to the author's adoption of a biological basis for morality that is explicit throughout the book. But one cannot object to the author's thoroughness. Darwinian Dominion is an excellent sourcebook to matters that concern issues of animal rights.
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