Although most animal rights activists identify as atheist or agnostic, the atheist/humanist community has traditionally been unwilling to apply reasoned thought to speciesism and expand its circle of concern to other animals. This talk outlines some of the humanist/atheist traditions in the animal rights movement and highlights some of the core reasons why animal liberation and veganism align with a humanist approach.
Dr. Corey Lee Wrenn is Lecturer of Sociology with the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) and Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of Social and Political Movements at the University of Kent. She served as council member with the American Sociological Association’s Animals & Society section (2013-2016), was elected Chair in 2018, and co-founded the International Association of Vegan Sociologists in 2020. She serves as Book Review Editor for Society & Animals and Editor for The Sociological Quarterly, is a member of The Vegan Society’s Research Advisory Committee, and hosts Sociology & Animals Podcast. She is the author of A Rational Approach to Animal Rights: Extensions in Abolitionist Theory (Palgrave MacMillan 2016), Piecemeal Protest: Animal Rights in the Age of Nonprofits (University of Michigan Press 2019), and Animals in Irish Society (SUNY Press 2021).
Connect with her on her website, Instagram Facebook, Twitter, vegansociology.com, veganfeministnetwork.com