Description
Descartes and the Non-human offers a critical examination of René Descartes’ influential philosophical framework and its implications for how we understand non-human life and the natural world. Emma Gilby analyzes Cartesian dualism and its consequences for environmental thought, exploring how Descartes’ separation of mind and matter has historically positioned humans as distinct from nature.
Through rigorous philosophical analysis, Gilby investigates how Descartes’ ideas about consciousness, reason, and the material world continue to influence contemporary environmental humanities. The work considers alternative approaches to human-nonhuman relationships and questions foundational assumptions about what constitutes life, consciousness, and value in the natural world.
As part of the Elements in Environmental Humanities series, this volume contributes to broader conversations about rethinking our conceptual frameworks for engaging with environmental ethics and ecological philosophy in the twenty-first century.
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