A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
How to Mourn for Animals? From Misanthropic Melancholia to Animal Ethical Mourning
Authors: Aaltola, Elisa; Pihkala, Panu
Publisher: John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies
Publication year: 2025
Journal: Environmental Ethics
Volume: 47
Issue: 3
First page : 237
Last page: 258
ISSN: 0163-4275
eISSN: 2153-7895
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics2025101100
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics2025101100
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/506340187
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY NC ND
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
The paper explores “animal ethical mourning” through three directions: 1) mourning for nonhuman animals, 2) mourning for lost human ideals, and 3) mourning with nonhuman animals. First, it investigates the political and moral significance of animal ethical mourning arguing it is a radical normative act. Second, it claims such mourning extends also to given human ideals, which our treatment of animals reveals to be forsaken. Here, it introduces “misanthropic melancholia” and argues it to form one affectively challenging yet normatively illuminating aspect of animal ethical mourning. Finally, it considers what it means to mourn with other animals. The paper’s central claim is more rituals and rhetoric are needed to evoke these aspects of animal ethical mourning.
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Funding information in the publication:
She (Aaltola) thanks Koneen Säätiö (Kone Foundation) for their generous funding of this article
