In Defense of Dolphins: The New Moral Frontier

Have humans been sharing the planet with other intelligent life for millions of years without realizing it? This timely and important book considers the answers and implications, and encourages humans to reconsider our treatment of the species with which we share the earth.

In this thought–provoking account, White relies on his more than fifteen year journey to understand the nature of dolphins, an odyssey that took him from the classroom to the center of the ocean. With a growing body of research supporting the sophisticated cognitive and emotional capacities of dolphins, important questions concerning their ethical treatment have arisen. Rich with engaging first–hand accounts, In Defense of Dolphins combines accessible science and philosophy, surveying the latest research on dolphin intelligence and social behavior, making a strong case for improving the moral status of dolphins, and advocating an end to their inhumane treatment.

Prologue: Why does a philosopher study dolphins?.

1. Dolphins: The Philosophical Questions.

2. The Anatomy and Physiology of Living in the Water.

3. Do Dolphins Think and Feel?.

4. Can Dolphins Solve Problems and Understand Language?.

5. Dolphin Social Intelligence.

6. What Kind of Beings are Dolphins?.

7. Ethics and Human/Dolphin Contact.

Epilogue.

Thomas I. White, Ph.D. is the Hilton Professor of Business Ethics and Director of the Center for Ethics and Business at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. He is also the Scientific Advisor to the Wild Dolphin Project in Jupiter, Florida. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Columbia University in 1974, and he taught at Upsala College and Rider University in New Jersey before moving to California. In addition to numerous scholarly articles on a variety of philosophical topics, he is the author of Right and Wrong, Discovering Philosophy, Business Ethics and Men and Women at Work (with Katherine Kearney). Since 1990, he has observed and assisted with the research of Dr. Denise Herzing of the Wild Dolphin Project, a marine scientist who has been studying a community of wild Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas for more than 20 years.

"Everyone who is interested in Cetaceans and respects them has to read this book." (Mammalia, 2011)

“This humbling book is a must–read for anyone who respects cetaceans and would like to step back from preconceived anthropocentric notions to learn more about these ‘people of the sea.’” (Animal Welfare Institute, June 2009)

"Thought–provoking … very readable and well laid out … (White) raises some important issues regarding the way we view other species."
Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

“White is a distinguished, well–published philosopher…His book is clearly written, carefully reasoned, and easily read. Summing Up: Highly recommended.”
Choice