Podcast 9
9. Renan Larue | Veganism & Speciesism in Antiquity
In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, Arihanta Institute professor Jonathan Dickstein, PhD interviews professor, French literary scholar, and historian of vegetarianism, Renan Larue, PhD about his academic journey and his insights into ancient Western philosophy’s perspectives on meat consumption and anthropocentrism. Dr. Larue recounts his teenage epiphany after reading Ovid’s Metamorphoses and explains how historical Western thought has influenced contemporary views on animal ethics.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
- Personal Journey: Larue's early experiences and shift to vegetarianism.
- Philosophical Perspectives: How Western philosophy has shaped views on animal exploitation.
- Advocacy Challenges: Navigating modern vegan advocacy within entrenched social norms.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & LINKS
- Renan Larue | Department of French and Italian | UCSB
- Course 1017 | Beasts & Beliefs: Animals & the Origins of Vegetarianism in the Ancient West
- Arihanta Institute | Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living
- Vegan Studies Initiative @ Arihanta Institute | Courses, Speaker Series, Research & More!
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ABOUT OUR PODCAST GUEST
Renan Larue is a professor, French literary scholar, and historian of vegetarianism. He is the author of six books on animal rights, vegetarianism or veganism, including Le végétarisme et ses ennemis (Presses Universitaires de France, 2015), a history of vegetarianism from Pythagoras until the modern day. The French Academy awarded it Best Book of the year in Moral Philosophy. More recently, he published Anthologie végane: 100 textes essentiels (Presses Universitaires de France, 2023). In 2016, he offered the first course in Vegan Studies in the United States at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
ABOUT OUR PODCAST HOST
Dr. Dickstein specializes in South Asian Religions, Religion and Ecology, and Comparative Religious Ethics. He received his doctoral degree in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he wrote his dissertation on ancient Indian animal taxonomies and their relevance for religious ritual and dietary practice. Jonathan’s current work focuses on Jainism and contemporary ecological issues, and accordingly extends into Critical Animal Studies, Food Studies, and Diaspora Studies.
Jonathan has published in a wide array of interdisciplinary journals on topics such as veganism and politics, yoga and diet, Jain veganism, and the ethic of nonviolence (ahiṃsa). Jonathan considers himself a scholar-practitioner, having spent many years not only in libraries but also in public advocating for justice for both humans and nonhumans alike.
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