Philosophy, Animality and the Life Sciences

This is a study of pathological concepts of animal life in Continental philosophy from Bergson to Haraway. Using animals for scientific research is a highly contentious issue that Continental philosophers engaging with 'the animal question' have been rightly accused of shying away from. Now, Wahida Khandker asks, can Continental approaches to animality and organic life make us reconsider our treatment of non-human animals? By following its historical and philosophical development, Khandker argues that the concept of 'pathological life' as a means of understanding organic life as a whole plays a pivotal role in refiguring the human-animal distinction. It looks at the assumptions underpinning debates about science and animals. It analyses the relation between the purpose and limitations of research in the life sciences and the concepts of animality and organic life that they have historically employed. It explores the significance of key thinkers such as Bergson, Canguilhem, Foucault and Haraway, and provides an accessible study of the complex and difficult writings of Alfred North Whitehead.