Originally an investigation into the connections between the philosophy of Wittgenstein, Quaker silent worship, and the minds of non-human animals. The starting point is the recognition that all deal with or involve the limits of language. My focus now is on to what extent Quakerism is fundamentally a humanist faith, how this might lead Quakers into ethical difficulties with regard to non-human animals, and how their practice of silent worship could be the key to Quakerism’s escaping these problems.

Topics

Quaker silent worship, animal minds.

About Chris Lord

(United Kingdom)

I’m a schoolteacher (Classics) who’s recently got into first Quakerism (Wanstead meeting) and then philosophy (Masters at Birkbeck 2015-2017). Upset and puzzled by humans’ (and Quakers’) unnecessary abuse of non-humans, I hope this research project will help me think through the issues for myself.