History of the human-animal relationship is key to nature preservation, Stanford scholar says

In an exhibition of rare books and in her research, Stanford history scholar Mackenzie Cooley reveals how studying the animals in Western culture can improve stewardship of the natural world today. Opening at Stanford on April 6, the "Beasts & Books" exhibition showcases rare books and printed materials from Stanford collections that explore centuries of human life with animals. 

From habitat protection and anti-cruelty laws to discourse about hunting and veganism, animals seem to get a lot of consideration in 21st-century Western culture.

Yet we actually understand many animals far less than our ancestors did, argues Mackenzie Cooley, a doctoral candidate in history who studies how living creatures were collected, designed, bred and trained in Renaissance-era Europe.

Having pets as our only reference to the animal kingdom "sentimentalizes our view of animals and thus impedes our appreciation and stewardship of the natural world," Cooley argues. ...

To read the complete article by Barbara Wilcox, visit The Stanford Report