Papers by Fredrik Karlsson
Den nya människan, 2022
Den här texten skiljer sig något från den publicerade versionen. Texten är publicerad som ett kap... more Den här texten skiljer sig något från den publicerade versionen. Texten är publicerad som ett kapitel i Den nya människan (2022), red. Axelson & Hylén, Gidlunds förlag.
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2011
Anthropomorphism has long been considered a cardinal error when describing animals. Ethicists hav... more Anthropomorphism has long been considered a cardinal error when describing animals. Ethicists have feared the consequences of misrepresenting animals in their reasoning. Recent research within human-animal studies, however, has sophisticated the notion of anthropomorphism. It is suggested that avoiding anthropomorphism merely creates other morphisms, such as mechanomorphism. Instead of avoiding anthropomorphism, it is argued that it is a communicative strategy that should be used critically. Instances of anthropomorphism in animal ethics are analyzed in this paper. Some analogies made between people and non-human animals in present theories of animal ethics are clear instances of psychological anthropomorphism. Other analogies are implicit cases of cultural anthropomorphism. It is argued that animal ethics need to take the wider discourse of critical anthropomorphism into account in order to sophisticate the understanding and use of anthropomorphic projections. Anthropomorphism is an efficient tool of communication, and it may be made an adequate one as well.
Mobilities, mobility justice and social justice, 2019
By a notion of mobility relating to the capability approach, and turbulence, a notion of mobility... more By a notion of mobility relating to the capability approach, and turbulence, a notion of mobility justice is developed that potentially may include human beings as well as non-human animals, and seemingly avoids the problem of marginal cases. Central to the argument is a non-representationalist understanding of intentionality and autonomy.
The purpose of this paper is to outline an approach, called the textual approach, to theoreticall... more The purpose of this paper is to outline an approach, called the textual approach, to theoretically confirm the intersubjectivity of assessments of animal welfare. The field of medical hermeneutics is used as a source for inspiration of how to correlate results of disparate empirical methods in order to better understand the health status of another being. The textual approach suggests that farm animals should be assessed as physiological objects as well as experiencing subjects. Stress-measurements add information about the animal as an object, while the adjective-based method adds information about the animal as a subject. The textual approach also implies, morally, that the assessed animal should be treated as an intrinsically valued being. The concern for intersubjectivity is thus not only based on scientific concerns, but also concerns for the animals in themselves.
Anthropomorphism has long been considered a cardinal error when describing animals. Ethicists hav... more Anthropomorphism has long been considered a cardinal error when describing animals. Ethicists have 16 feared the consequences of misrepresenting animals in their reasoning. Recent research within human-animal studies, 17 however, has sophisticated the notion of anthropomorphism. It is suggested that avoiding anthropomorphism merely 18 creates other morphisms, such as mechanomorphism. Instead of avoiding anthropomorphism, it is argued that it is a 19 communicative strategy that should be used critically. Instances of anthropomorphism in animal ethics are analyzed 20 in this paper. Some analogies made between people and non-human animals in present theories of animal ethics are 21 clear instances of psychological anthropomorphism. Other analogies are implicit cases of cultural 22 anthropomorphism. It is argued that animal ethics need to take the wider discourse of critical anthropomorphism into 23 account in order to sophisticate the understanding and use of anthropomorphic projections. Anthropomorphism is an 24 efficient tool of communication, and it may be made an adequate one as well. 25 26 27 28
The debate on anthropomorphism within human-animal studies is attempting to thwart the convention... more The debate on anthropomorphism within human-animal studies is attempting to thwart the conventional resistance against anthropomorphism. The term is redefined from being necessarily an error, to a linguistic habit that may, or may not, be used erroneously . This development has often taken form in resistance against mechanomorphism, i.e. the habit of attributing mechanical properties to non-mechanical entities. Those that avoid analogies that use human symbols in order to refer to non-human animals, the argument goes, will instead use mechanistic symbols in order to make those analogies, because we unmistakably make the analogies. In order to avoid comparing obviously alive animals to dead machines, we should instead make anthropomorphic projections. Animals would then be acknowledged as fully alive beings with agency and certain authority .
Ekokritik - naturen i litteraturen, 2007
Books by Fredrik Karlsson
at 10.15 a.m. for the degree of Doctor of Theology. The examination will be conducted in English.
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Papers by Fredrik Karlsson
Books by Fredrik Karlsson