Title: Landscapes of Being
Subtitle: Understanding the Ontology of Humans, Dogs, Equines, Bovines and Elephants for Them to Have a Life Worth Living
Subject Classification:  Philosophy, Anthropology, Bioethics  
BIC Classification: PSV, HPCB
BISAC Classification: PHI005000, PHI026000, SCI070000
Binding: Hardback, eBook
Planned publication date: Sep 2026
ISBN (Hardback): 978-1-80866-087-0
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-80866-088-7

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Description

All humans hold collective beliefs about “what it is to be” - the ontology - of some of our major 'companion animals', because they have been in contact with them for many centuries. All mammals are sentient, but sentience carries with it other mental attributes, some of which have been considered unique to humans. This requires a re-examination of where humans ( and each of these other species) really are exceptional and where they are not. The book is the result of a life time living with and studying dogs, horses, bovines and elephants, and critically reviews relevant science, philosophical thought and folk knowledge. It is possible to summarise and compare each species' ontology, shaped by the individual’s lifetime experiences, as it in humans. The individual's life time experiences mould their mammalian and species ontology, and these are traced for members of each species. Such a study is crucial before decisions can be made concerning “positive welfare”: whether that species or individual has a life worth living. Humans can benefit greatly from learning these different world views, and perhaps learn to live differently.

Landscapes of Being is a multi disciplinary study, of interest to philosophers, cognitive scientists, veterinarians, animal welfare activists and scientists, biologists and ecologists, as well as interested members of the public.

Biography

Author(s):  The author is a distinguished animal welfare scientist and philosopher with more than six decades of experience in the field, and recipient of many awards and Fellowships. She is a Director of the Eco Research & Education Centre in the UK, and Consultant on Ecological Agriculture & Animal Behaviour & Welfare.

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