Brett Walker argues that humans should rejoin the animal kingdom, or at least admit that they could never leave a group with which they belong,…
November 2014
Animals as subjects
The readings this week argues animals have their agency and thus can be subjects of history from the perspective of animals’ life world, language, military partnership. Erica Fudge recovered cows’ order of their life world; Susan Pearson discusses the changing concept of language and mind to illustrate animals’ communication. Brett Walker, Chris Pearson and David […]
Lying down with the dogs
“Because the individual, narrowly restricted by his senses and power of concentration, never perceives more than a tiny patch of the vast tapestry of events, deeds, and words which form the destinies of a group, and because, moreover, he possesses an immediate awareness of only his own mental state, all knowledge of mankind, to whatever […]
Agency, Intentionality, Dogs, Cats, and the Black Death Fleas
Do animals have agency? This is the question being asked this week; whether animals can truly be historical actors, or if they they better assessed…
“Who Are We?”: Animals, History, Ethics, and Questions of Inclusion
Side by side with the question of animals and history are the question of ethical inclusion in general, and the conception of the ethical position of animals in particular. Historian Gary David Shaw’s idea of “we” as a limiting principle in which those writing history decide which entities are ‘”…enough like us to count’” mirrors […]
Rosie, Buddy, Agency and History
“(Animals) permeate our history and we theirs: tug at the threads and our stories, woven as they are into the same tightly knit tapestry, will not disentwine.”[i] Animals permeate my personal history. And as such, I love this quote by … Continue reading →
So…Um…Language. Huh.
Early in Susan Pearson’s article “Speaking Bodies, Speaking Minds: Animals, Language, History,” she brings up an interesting point about the “letter-writer” versus Ms. Stowe: they each had a different view of what “language” actually is. Further in, Pearson discusses the Continue reading →
Animals, Agency, and History
I was hoping I would have something profound and poignant to say for my last (maybe?) post. However, as I anticipate good old fashioned Turkey Day tomorrow, I am not feeling too profound and my Thanksgiving break mind is feeling utterly not creative and fully on vacation. Nevertheless, I do feel I can still do […]
Thoughts on Pre-History
I too, completely overlooked the posting/blogging for the readings, since I was so engrossed in the research aspect of my historiography, so I too, must beg forgiveness for the delay in my blog this week. I apologize for this oversight on my part. I have often wondered when I cam e across the term pre-history exactly what […]
The Importance Contigency…and My History of Technology Geek Moment
Not going to lie, I entirely forgot about posting after I read. So, my bad on the lateness. That said… I really, REALLY, liked the article “Investigation the History in Prehistories.” I particularly attached to the discussion of contingency in Continue reading →
1 2