Papers by Julius Kapembwa
The relationship between the Darwinian theory of evolution and some Christian beliefs is complex ... more The relationship between the Darwinian theory of evolution and some Christian beliefs is complex and has generated controversy between scientists and philosophers. The relationship has been perceived by many as necessarily one of conflict, a perception that has been highlighted in more recent times by the evolutionary biologist and self-confessed atheist, Richard Dawkins. This dissertation presents the arguments by both scientists and biblical literalists and makes a critical evaluation of both. It makes clarifications that expose the flaws in the thinking that has perpetuated the antagonistic view of the two. It also sets the framework for future enlightened debate on science/religion discourses in general, and those on evolutionary biology/Christian belief in particular. The problematic issues that arise from relating the theory of evolution and some Christian beliefs are outlined while drawing out the relevance of the research to Zambia in particular. Part of the problem in relat...
Despite exponential growth of the field of animal ethics, wildlife ethics has continued to be a f... more Despite exponential growth of the field of animal ethics, wildlife ethics has continued to be a fringe discussion. My thesis seeks to make a theoretical contribution by focusing only on human-induced harms to wild animals. I use the rights approach to investigate demands of wildlife justice on human behaviour and wildlife policy. I take rights to be the best normative resource for determining and evaluating just and unjust relations. Given the fundamental position of moral rights that I espouse, moral rights must constitute the core of an ethically sound wildlife policy. The analytical framework I deploy throughout the thesis consists of the Interest Theory of Rights couched in the Hohfeldian matrix of rights. This framework provides some insights for improving on the influential rights approach expounded by Tom Regan. I apply the adopted rights view to several important ethical conundrums. These include the institution of wildlife property; human interference in wildlife predation ...
His main research interests are in metaethics and applied philosophy, with a particular focus on ... more His main research interests are in metaethics and applied philosophy, with a particular focus on environmental and nonhuman animal ethics and on terrorism studies. Andrew Woodhall works on anthropocentrism and global interspecies ethics, and has presented on such subjects at the Minding Animals Conference 3 in New Delhi and at the MANCEPT Political Workshops. He is co-editor of the book Ethical and Political Approaches to Nonhuman Animal Issues: Towards an Undivided Future with Gabriel Garmendia da Trindade, has published in Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, and has a chapter entitled 'Anthropocentrism and the Issues Facing Nonhuman Animals' in the book, Animals in Human Society, edited by Daniel Moorehead. He has organized several conferences in interspecies studies, and is cofounder of the Saving Nonhumans Initiative.
African Social Research, 2006
Data shows results from 267 residents of three chiefdoms in Mambwe district, Eastern Zambia that ... more Data shows results from 267 residents of three chiefdoms in Mambwe district, Eastern Zambia that were interviewed to determine their views on economic benefits, local participation in wildlife management and conservation ethics.
Tropical Conservation Science, 2020
This study examines views on economic benefits, local participation in wildlife management and co... more This study examines views on economic benefits, local participation in wildlife management and conservation ethic among 267 residents of three chiefdoms in Mambwe district, Eastern Zambia. Results show that 68% of the residents who live in the Lupande Game Management Area are not in any way involved in community wildlife management. For those involved, the main reason advanced for participating was economic benefit (79%). Only a small minority of 17% of the residents participated due to motivations to conserve wildlife. Human-wildlife conflicts induced by wild animal crop raiding, property destruction, and loss of human life, and perceived low or non-existent economic benefits seemingly precluded the development of a conservation ethic among residents. The local chiefs asserted wildlife ownership, lamented low wildlife benefits and justified its illegal uptake. Proponents of community conservation projects could encourage pro conservation attitudes among residents by addressing huma...
South African Journal of Philosophy, 2018
, then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Zambia for three days. His call to re... more , then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Zambia for three days. His call to respect human rights and give protection to all people regardless of sexual orientation was received mostly with hostility by the Zambian public. The media was inundated with opposing press statements from both government and civil society persons and entities. Politicians, church leaders, and the public widely condemned Ban's advocacy for "gay rights". Although the debate on homosexuality is not new in Zambia, there is a dearth of research on the subject. This paper seeks, modestly, to reexamine popular rationale for heterosexism to contribute to the resolution of one of the perennial problems colouring African political, social, and cultural discourse. By deconstructing the popular views and systematising the debate, the paper aims at providing a baseline and guideline for addressing the problem of heterosexism in Zambia. Without suggesting that Africa is homogenous, what happened in Zambia following Ban's visit could have predictably happened in many African countries, notably Uganda and Nigeria. This paper, however, uses Zambia as a point of reference. The paper relies on views indicating negative attitudes and beliefs that legislators, and policy makers, church leaders and ordinary citizens have toward homosexuality. These positions have been thematised into six major grounds for the sexual prejudices against homosexuality. These are subjected to logical and epistemic scrutiny. Ultimately, the arguments in support of heterosexism are shown to be untenable. 1 Although homosexuality refers to same-sex relationships by both males and females, it is on men that this paper especially focuses. By gay men, the paper will mean essentially men who have sex with men (MSM). To be clear, not all gay men are MSM, and not all MSM are gay men. Some gay men may not act on the sexual attraction to fellow men, while some non-gay men may have sex for other reasons, such as prostitution.
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2018
Predation poses a serious challenge for animal ethics of whatever ilk. For animal rights theory e... more Predation poses a serious challenge for animal ethics of whatever ilk. For animal rights theory especially, the problem is potentially fatal as animal rights appear to require or permit interfering in nature to prevent predation, an implication that appears to be absurd. Several philosophers have written to deflect this challenge by showing how that implication is not absurd or how the allegedly entailed prescription to intervene does not follow from animal rights theory. A number of philosophers have taken different routes to arrive at the same conclusion that intervention in wildlife predation is not morally permissible or required on the rights view. In this paper, I explore a route hitherto unused to the conclusion that intervention in predation is neither required nor permitted by animal rights theory. I deploy the Hohfeldian analytical framework of rights as well as aspects of the theory of self-or other-defence. This, in my view is the most thorough-going rights perspective on the predation problem. I expose some ad hoc, incoherent, utilitarian, and even speciesist arguments among animal rights solutions to the predation problem. The approach I have used avoids these flaws. Taking animal rights seriously means guarding against any tacit speciesism. I think using Hohfeld's framework goes some way in keeping rights analysis free of implicit bias that might pollute our arguments in favour of human beings.
Frontiers in sustainable cities, Apr 27, 2023
On 24 February 2012, then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Zambia for three d... more On 24 February 2012, then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Zambia for three days. His call to respect human rights and give protection to all people regardless of sexual orientation was received mostly with hostility by the Zambian public. The media was inundated with opposing press statements from both government and civil society persons and entities. Politicians, church leaders, and the public widely condemned Ban's advocacy for “gay rights”. Although the debate on homosexuality is not new in Zambia, there is a dearth of research on the subject. This paper seeks, modestly, to re-examine popular rationale for heterosexism to contribute to the resolution of one of the perennial problems colouring African political, social, and cultural discourse. By deconstructing the popular views and systematising the debate, the paper aims at providing a baseline and guideline for addressing the problem of heterosexism in Zambia. Without suggesting that Africa is homogenous, what happened in Zambia following Ban's visit could have predictably happened in many African countries, notably Uganda and Nigeria. This paper, however, uses Zambia as a point of reference. The paper relies on views indicating negative attitudes and beliefs that legislators, and policy makers, church leaders and ordinary citizens have toward homosexuality. These positions have been thematised into six major grounds for the sexual prejudices against homosexuality. These are subjected to logical and epistemic scrutiny. Ultimately, the arguments in support of heterosexism are shown to be untenable.
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Papers by Julius Kapembwa