bwaber@bookwyrm.social reviewed The Arrogant Ape by Christine E. Webb
An Excellent Interrogation of How We Understand Animals and Ourselves
5 stars
Webb delivers a compelling interrogation of how scientists study and conceptualize the living world, convincingly demonstrating that our socially reinforced idea of human exceptionalism has warped that pursuit. This book is strongest when Webb builds on her expertise as a primatologist and shows how impoverished scientific studies of animals are, with supposedly "objective" conditions demonstrably creating unnatural data as well as often being morally reprehensible. The sections on bringing in indigenous knowledge and extending moral concerns to all animals are also excellent. Webb's critique of history as anthropocentric, however, misunderstands what historians actually do, and her own attempt at a historical investigation of the rise of human exceptionalism is lacking. That's a relatively minor gripe, however, and the book overall is a must read. Highly recommend
Webb delivers a compelling interrogation of how scientists study and conceptualize the living world, convincingly demonstrating that our socially reinforced idea of human exceptionalism has warped that pursuit. This book is strongest when Webb builds on her expertise as a primatologist and shows how impoverished scientific studies of animals are, with supposedly "objective" conditions demonstrably creating unnatural data as well as often being morally reprehensible. The sections on bringing in indigenous knowledge and extending moral concerns to all animals are also excellent. Webb's critique of history as anthropocentric, however, misunderstands what historians actually do, and her own attempt at a historical investigation of the rise of human exceptionalism is lacking. That's a relatively minor gripe, however, and the book overall is a must read. Highly recommend