Our Animal Kin

This course explores human-animal connections and their spiritual and ethical implications. Moving between writings from Western and Indigenous worldviews, we consider how humans have rightfully or wrongfully imagined animals over time and across cultures, the relationships we have forged with other animals (including those that are currently under threat and that have recently been lost in an age of 'species loneliness'), and what obligations and responsibilities we may have to safeguard and foster the welfare of other species. Through the lens of these relationships, not only will we confront some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, but we’ll also challenge the boundaries between humans and other animals and seek to connect with the wild within ourselves. Crafting skills in creative non-fiction, students compose and tell stories about their own animal connections and, later, hone the art of persuasive writing by composing an argumentative essay taking a position on an issue in animal ethics.