In 2019, I completed my BSc degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Utrecht. In 2020, I completed my MA degree in Applied Ethics at the University of Utrecht. During both degrees, I concerned myself with reimagining the human-animal-relationship and questioned what is required of individuals and institutions in order to achieve justice for animals.

Since the autumn of 2020, I have been working on my PhD thesis as part of the PRIMA Project “Beastly Politics – a theory of justice for nonhuman animals”. My supervisors are Prof. Dr. Angela Martin and Prof. Dr. Markus Wild.

Animal Ethics, Social Epistemology, Epistemology of Ignorance, Moral Blame, Epistemic Responsibility

Title

Speciesist Ignorance: Bridging animal ethics and the epistemology of ignorance (working title)

Abstract

I explore the concept of ignorance and its role in the political non-responsiveness to animal injustices. The aim is to develop a useful concept of ignorance with which to explore the issue of animal injustice. In order to do so, I frame ignorance as a major obstacle to asserting interspecies justice. This leads me to consider in what way ignorance about animal injustices comes about, as an interplay between individuals and institutions. Moreover, I question whether—and under what circumstances—we can indeed be held responsible for our actions if they come from a place of ignorance. Furthermore, I explore how different actors must discourage the production of ignorance in order to halt its contribution to the continuation of animal injustices.

van den Brandeler, E. (forthcoming) Towards an Epistemology of Speciesist Ignorance. Res Publica.

van den Brandeler, E. (2023). [Review of the book Protecting Animals Within and Across Borders – Extraterritorial Jurisdiction and the Challenges of Globalization, by C. Blattner]. Studia Philosophica, 83.

van den Brandeler, E. (2021). The political turn of the animal ethical discourse–the need for a virtue ethical approach. In Justice and food security in a changing climate (p. 9). Wageningen Academic Publishers. Link

The Vonne Lund junior researcher prize 2021 – for the oral presentation and paper: “The political turn of the animal ethical discourse – the need for a virtue ethical approach” Link

HS 2023 Seminar “The Epistemology and Ethics of Ignorance” at the philosophy department, University of Basel.

Oral paper “The political turn of the animal ethical discourse – the need for a virtue ethical approach” At EurSafe 2021, Justice and Food Security in a Changing Climate, held at the University of Fribourg. Link

Oral paper “Speciesist ignorance as an obstacle to animal justice” at the Annual Society for Applied Philosophy Conference 2022, 1-3 July, held at the University of Edinburgh.

Oral paper “Ignorance as an individual and institutional strategy to avoid responsibility” The World Congress of Bioethics 2022, held at the University of Basel.