Speciesism, Empathy and Dialogue: Animal Ethics in the Hispano-American Narrative of the 20th Century

Abstract

The subject of animals’ rights and ethics has been discussed using utilitarian, universal rights and post humanist theory. We can easily understand them as the use and practice of agreed consensus, sympathetic imagination and the dialogue between species. Our aim in this essay is to analyze the aesthetic and affective implications of the above mentioned theories, in the late 20th. century Hispano-American literature (specially the one written by Mexican and Argentinian authors). For only thus can we visualize a change in our relations with the animal other.

Keywords

• animal ethics
• speciesism
• animal studies
• hispano-american literature
• 20th century