• Home
  • About us
  • Contact Us
  • Date/Time
  • Login
  • Subscribe

logo

  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economics & Finance
  • World
  • Arts & Books
  • Life
  • Science
  • Philosophy
  • Subscribe
  • Events
Home
  • Home
  • Blogs
  • Politics
  • Economics & Finance
  • World
  • Arts & Books
  • Life
  • Science
  • Philosophy
  • Subscribe
  • Events
  • Home
  • Arts & Books

On philosophers and wolves

by Tom Chatfield / January 22, 2009 / Leave a comment
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

Man's best friend?

In a web-exclusive review for Prospect this week, actor and writer Alexander Fiske-Harrison returns to the fertile topic of animal psychology and ethics that he explored in his much-noted essay for Prospect on bullfighting (a piece which sparked one of the most in-depth discussions ever to feature on this blog). This time, the mammal in question is a wolf, and the book under review is The Philosopher and the Wolf, by philosopher Mark Rowlands. During his time teaching in America, Rowlands became the owner of a pure-blooded wolf, and the book tells the story of how he raised it as his companion; and how the experience transformed his understanding of the divide between humans and animals. The book, Fiske-Harrison argues, is both illuminating and a missed opportunity; a provocative but ultimately self-subverting testament to the uniquely human qualities of empathy, compassion and invention. As ever, let us know your own thoughts and views here….

YOU’VE HIT THE LIMIT

You have now reached your limit of 3 free articles in the last 30 days.
But don’t worry! You can get another 7 articles absolutely free, simply by entering your email address in the box below.

When you register we’ll also send you a free e-book—Writing with punch—which includes some of the finest writing from our archive of 22 years. And we’ll also send you a weekly newsletter with the best new ideas in politics and philosophy of culture, which you can of course unsubscribe from at any time







Prospect may process your personal information for our legitimate business purposes, to provide you with our newsletter, subscription offers and other relevant information.

Click to learn more about these interests and how we use your data. You will be able to object to this processing on the next page and in all our communications.

16001015035c711161036d13.50485303

Go to comments

Related articles

Share with friends
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Email

Comments

  1. Suleman Pervez
    January 22, 2009 at 03:05
    I'm sure Wolves/dogs can empathise both with other dogs and even humans. I'm sure they can be compassionate like the time when Bobby the Scots Terrier lamented the death of his Master Greyfriar. I don't think wolves have ever invented anything, but if they had opposible digits I'm sure they would have invented something by now - probably a canine can opener.
  2. Caspar Henderson
    January 26, 2009 at 12:21
    Alexander Fiske-Harrison wishes The Philosopher and the Wolf had included a section on what it is like to be a wolf. Perhaps Temple Grandin is helpful. Consider, for example, this from an essay on consciousness in animals and people with autism: Chimpanzees have self awareness. When they look at themselves in a mirror, they do not react to the image as if it was another animal, and if paint is applied to the chimps face, it will try to wipe it off. Because dogs are not able to do this, one should not jump to the conclusion that dogs are not self aware. Dogs may not be visually self aware, but are possibly smell self aware. A dog marking its territory is able to discriminate between its own urine and a strange dog's urine.
  3. Alexander Fiske-Harrison
    January 26, 2009 at 14:49
    An interesting idea - I dealt very abruptly once before with the idea of dogs and self-awareness in some comments on my 'Morality and Mortality' post on this blog, but it deserves more thought. However, I suspect that given the way smell works, it would be impossible to verify. The smell of a dog’s urine is a snapshot of its internal chemistry at a given moment in time. One cannot manipulate and register this in the same way you can anatomical position with the constant feedback of light from the mirror. I don’t doubt a dog can distinguish the smell of itself from that of another dog, but I do doubt they go on to attach that to a concept of self in the way an ape, bottlenose dolphin or elephant does. It is interesting to hear Temple Grandin mentioned on this, someone who is not much known in the UK. The only reason I do is that a good friend is playing her in a forthcoming movie about her life. I hope she becomes better known as a result. AF-H (click my name at top to go to The Last Arena - The World of the Spanish Bullfight)
  4. Charlie Gilmour
    October 26, 2011 at 14:59
    Yes, I remember Fiske-Harrison's essay on bullfighting, which is why I came here to find out if his book is any good as the TLS is clearly a contaminated source, but it seems you haven't reviewed it yet. Do you not review your own contributors' books? Perhaps the TLS should have followed the same policy. CK

Prospect's free newsletter

The big ideas that are shaping our world—straight to your inbox. PLUS a free e-book and 7 articles of your choosing on the Prospect website.

Prospect may process your personal information for our legitimate business purposes, to provide you with our newsletter, subscription offers and other relevant information. Click here to learn more about these purposes and how we use your data. You will be able to opt-out of further contact on the next page and in all our communications.

This Month's Magazine

Perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus.

Prospect is the leading magazine of ideas. Each month it is packed with the finest writing on politics, culture, economics and ideas. Subscribe today and join the debate.

Subscribe

Most Popular

  • Read
  • Commented

This proposal for breaking the Brexit deadlock deserves serious consideration

Did the SDP really split the left in 1983?

Nonsense economics: the rise of modern monetary theory

The Conservative Party has a problem—it’s no longer conservative

5 Comments

Even if Britain stays in Europe, we need a new constitutional settlement

2 Comments

If May's deal is in flames, Labour should not seek to put out the fire

2 Comments

The naïve optimism of Liam Fox

2 Comments

Last night’s vote confirms that Brexit is heading towards the rocks

2 Comments

About this author

Tom Chatfield
Tom Chatfield is an associate editor at Prospect. His latest book is "How to Thrive in a Digital Age" (Pan Macmillan)
  • Follow Tom on:
  • Twitter
More by this author

More by Tom Chatfield

What does a successful surveillance strategy look like?
January 17, 2015
Martin Amis’s 1982 space invasion
February 29, 2012
Bridging the gap
November 16, 2011

Next Prospect events

  • Details

    Prospect Book Club—Diarmaid MacCulloch

    London, 2019-05-20

  • Details

    Prospect Book Club—Sue Prideaux

    2019-04-15

  • Details

    Prospect Book Club—Andrew Roberts

    2019-03-14

See more events

Sponsored features

  • The future of transport: taking Britain into the fast lane

  • Reforming the pension system to work for the many

  • Putting savers in the driving seat: getting the pensions dashboard right

  • To fix the housing crisis we need fresh thinking

  • Tata Steel UK: Driving innovation for the future of mobility

PrimeTime

The magazine is owned and supported by the Resolution Group, as part of its not-for-profit, public interest activities.

Follow us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • RSS

Editorial

Editor: Tom Clark
Deputy Editor: Steve Bloomfield
Managing Editor (Arts & Books): Sameer Rahim
Head of Digital: Stephanie Boland
Deputy Digital Editor (Political Correspondent): Alex Dean
Creative Director: Mike Turner
Production Editor & Designer: Chris Tilbury
US Writer-at-Large: Sam Tanenhaus

Commercial

Commercial Director: Alex Stevenson
Head of Marketing: Paul Mortimer
Marketing and Circulations Executive: James Hawkins
Programme Coordinator: Oliver James Ward
Head of Advertising Sales: Adam Kinlan 020 3372 2934
Senior Account Manager: Dominic Slonecki 0203 372 2972

  • Home
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Acceptable Use Policy
© Prospect Publishing Limited
×
Login
Login with your subscriber account:
You need a valid subscription to login.
I am
Remember Me


Forgotten password?

Or enter with social networking:
Login to post comments using social media accounts.
  • With Twitter
  • Connect
  • With Google +
×
Register Now

Register today and access any 7 articles on the Prospect’s website for FREE in the next 30 days..
PLUS find out about the big ideas that will shape our world—with Prospect’s FREE newsletter sent to your inbox. We'll even send you our e-book—Writing with punch—with some of the finest writing from the Prospect archive, at no extra cost!

Not Now, Thanks

Prospect may process your personal information for our legitimate business purposes, to provide you with our newsletter, subscription offers and other relevant information.

Click to learn more about these interests and how we use your data. You will be able to object to this processing on the next page and in all our communications.

×
You’ve got full access!

It looks like you are a Prospect subscriber.

Prospect subscribers have full access to all the great content on our website, including our entire archive.

If you do not know your login details, simply close this pop-up and click 'Login' on the black bar at the top of the screen, then click 'Forgotten password?', enter your email address and press 'Submit'. Your password will then be emailed to you.

Thank you for your support of Prospect and we hope that you enjoy everything the site has to offer.

This site uses cookies to improve the user experience. By using this site, you agree that we can set and use these cookies. For more details on the cookies we use and how to manage them, see our Privacy and Cookie Policy.