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This lecture series will analyze the complex relationships between human and nonhuman animals from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will gain a broad insight into a range of scientific concepts and approaches to the topic. At the same time a critical attitude and the courage to question longstanding paradigms will be fostered.

Research into the multidimensional relationships between humans and nonhuman animals has become a respected scientific discipline that is attracting a lot of attention. The issue of “the human and the animal” can no longer be ignored in modern scientific discourse. The 21^st century will (have to) bring a fundamental revision of the relationship between humans and nonhuman animals. The human being will no longer be able to pass either practically or ethically the scientific insights with regard to nonhuman beings (e.g. primatology). The human being is only a (little) part of the “community of creatures”. This leads to the conviction that this interdisciplinary lecture series not only focuses on an issue that has been central to biology, ecology and ethology, but also one that is increasingly important in the social sciences and the humanities as well as of central concern for the general public – as indicated by the enormous interest of the students in our lecture series in fall 2012/13 and 2014/15 (nearly 1000 registrations).

What the Human-Animal Studies are and what they are trying to uncover, will be shown exemplarily in lectures from a diversity of disciplines, as for example:

- Reinhard Heuberger (Linguistics): ”Language both as a Separating and a Connecting Element“

- Reingard Spannring (Educational Sciences / Sociology): ”Human-Animal Relationships and the Critique of Capitalism“

- Gabriela Kompatscher (Classics) / Max Siller (German Philology): ”Animals as Friends and Therapists in the Medieval Ages”

- Martin Balluch (Philosophy / Animal Rights): „On the Practical Realization of the Philosophy of Animal Rights“

and many more.

Lecture and discussion.

Written exam.

Ach, J. S. / Stephany, M. (Hg.), Die Frage nach dem Tier. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf das Mensch-Tier-Verhältnis, Münster 2010.

Balluch, M., Die Kontinuität von Bewusstsein. Das naturwissenschaftliche Argument für Tierrechte. Wien / Mülheim a.d.R. 2005.

Cavalieri P., Die Frage nach den Tieren. Für eine erweiterte Theorie der Menschenrechte (Tierrechte – Menschenpflichten 8), Erlangen 2002.

Chimaira – Arbeitskreis für Human-Animal Studies (Hg.): Human-Animal Studies. Über die gesellschaftliche Natur von Mensch-Tier-Verhältnissen, Bielefeld 2011.

Chimaira – Arbeitskreis für Human-Animal Studies (Hg.), Tiere, Bilder, Ökonomien – Aktuelle Forschungsfragen der Human-Animal Studies, Bielefeld 2013.

DeMello, M., Animals and Society. An Introduction to Human-Animal Studies, New York 2012.

Joy, M., Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. An Introduction to Carnism: The Belief System That Enables Us to Eat Some Animals and Not Others, San Francisco 2011 (dt.: Münster ²2013).

Kaplan, H. F., Die Ethische Weltformel – Eine Moral für Menschen und Tiere, Neukirch-Egnach 2003.

Kompatscher, G. / Classen, A. / Dinzelbacher, P., Tiere als Freunde im Mittelalter. Eine Anthologie, Badenweiler 2010.

Serpell, J., In the Company of Animals. A Study of Human-Animal Relationships (Canto original series), New York 2008

Spannring, R. / Schachinger, K. / Kompatscher, G. / Boucabeille, A., Disziplinierte Tiere? Perspektiven der Human-Animal Studies für die wissenschaftlichen Disziplinen, Bielefeld 2015

Spannring, R. / Heuberger, R. / Kompatscher, G. / Schachinger, K. / Oberprantacher, A. / Boucabeille, A., Tiere, Texte, Transformationen. Kritische Perspektiven der Human-Animal Studies, Bielefeld 2015

Waal, F. de, Der Affe in uns. Warum wir sind, wie wir sind, München / Wien 2006

Please check out the reference shelf in the ULBT.

For a more extensive bibliographic reference list please see OLAT.

There are no prerequisites, but the attendance of the lecture is recommended only after the acquisition of at least 60 ECTS, because basic knowledge in your discipline is needed to connect Human-Animal Studies with your subject.

New features: This time we won’t take videos, but the coming together and the exchange in the lecture hall will be intensified.

Recognition: The lecture series will be recognized by several disciplines of the various faculties of the Innsbruck University. The students whose subject isn’t mentioned above are asked to talk to their educational deans.

Please check out OLAT regularly for new course materials.