Courses in Animal Advocacy & Biodiversity
Self-paced
1011 | Jain Approaches to Animal Sentience
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1011 | Jain Approaches to Animal Sentience
Jainism’s foundational ethical principle of non-harming assumes that living beings can be harmed by the acts of others. The ability to be harmed by others is not shared by all entities, as neither Jainism or mainstream science maintains that brute objects such as tables or bricks can be, technically speaking, “harmed.” Learn Jain and non-Jain perspectives on the differences between sentient and insentient entities; Jain categorizations of plant and animal life; modern philosophical and scientific approaches to sentience; the relationship of sentience to ethics; and the theoretical and ethical challenges posed by entities such as plants, insects, bivalves, and other beings. All suggested course readings are provided as links and pdfs throughout the course.Learning Objectives:* Answer the question “What is Sentience?” and learn western scientific approaches to sentience* Learn Jain approaches to sentience which consider sense faculties and minds* Understand the connections between sentience, pain, and ethics* Look at sentience “on the fringes” including questions around plants, bivalves, and other beings
$99.00 USD
Instructor
Self-paced
111 | Animal-Centered Design
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111 | Animal-Centered Design
Non-human animals are routinely used for profit or product, and as a result, suffer greatly in our society. Animal sanctuaries provide a glimpse of a different world; one in which animals are provided with protected spaces and treated as equals. A new initiative is taking shape that can aid sanctuaries, and individuals, in their goal of bettering animals' lives: Animal-Centered Design (ACD). In this course you will learn the basic principles of ACD, study examples of it in action within sanctuary settings, and consider how ACD can be applied to companion animals and beyond. This course will also touch on passive solar design, focusing on how proper orientation to the natural elements can benefit both animals and our environment. Readings and assignments are provided throughout the course to engage you directly in the animal sanctuary design process and to inspire you to make a positive change for animals.A portion of the proceeds for this course support Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge.Learning Objectives: Class 1: Introduction to Farmed Animal SanctuariesClass 2: Principles of Animal-Centered DesignClass 3: Precedents in Animal-Centered DesignClass 4: Case Study I-Designing Spaces for GoatsClass 5: Case Study II-Designing Spaces for DucksClass 6: Animal-Centered Design for Companion AnimalsClass 7: Passive Solar Design Strategies for Animal Spaces
$99.00 USD
Instructors
Self-paced
1014 | Jainism, Veganism, and Engaged Religion
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1014 | Jainism, Veganism, and Engaged Religion
Committed to nonviolence (ahiṃsā) since its ancient beginnings, the Jain tradition has admonished the mistreatment, slaughter, sacrifice, and consumption of animals for thousands of years. In light of these commitments, Jains have traditionally lived a lacto-vegetarian lifestyle, advocated for the legal protection of animals, and have created sanctuaries for animals for centuries. In ancient and medieval scriptural sources, we even find restrictions on the consumption of dairy itself, suggesting potential pre-modern Jain commitments to what would now be referred to as a vegan lifestyle. And today, many Jains have been advocating for veganism in light of the devastating and irreparable harms involved in the production of dairy in contemporary society. This course carefully considers the philosophical and historical underpinnings of Jain Veganism, presenting an opportunity for non-Jain vegans to discover a rich philosophical system aligned with their values, as well as an opportunity for Jains to appreciate the philosophical resources within their own tradition which naturally lead to living an ethical vegan lifestyle.
$25.00 USD
Instructors
Self-paced
1006 | Jain Dharma and Animal Advocacy
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1006 | Jain Dharma and Animal Advocacy
According to Jain dharma, we live in an interconnected web of life in which no creature, human or non-human, wants to be harmed. For this reason, the Jain tradition has taught ahiṃsā, or non-violence, to all forms of life for thousands of years. Learn why the Jain tradition places particular emphasis on non-violence toward non-human animals, and how these Jain perspectives can be brought into conversation with contemporary animal advocacy concerns. Leave the course inspired to advocate for the well-being of all forms of life.
$99.00 USD
Instructor
Self-paced
1015 | Debunking the Myth of Sustainable and Humane Animal Agriculture
In this course, we will focus on the “greenwashing” and “humanewashing” by animal agriculture. “Greenwashing” is based on the different ways that animal agriculture pretends it is sustainable when it is not; “humanewashing” refers to the different ways that animal agriculture pretends it treats animals well, when it does not. In reality, animal agriculture is one of the single largest drivers of climate change and one of the most cruel industries imaginable; however, much like the tobacco industry and the fossil fuel industries before it, animal agriculture has responded to this reality not by enacting any substantive changes, but by relying on “tricks” of communication, including public relations, media relations, marketing, and even attempts to influence scholarship on the topic to confuse the public and hide their destructive practices. In this course, we will debunk these rhetorical tricks and expose the reality of the harms animal agriculture is causing to both animals and our planet. This course should be of benefit to any activist, policy maker, or person concerned about climate change, environmental destruction, or animal suffering. Course Details6 hours of recorded video contentWeekly readings for self-studyAccess to class materials begins Monday, August 5, 20244 scheduled Live Q&A sessions with Professor Stanescu on August 9, 16, 23, and 30 from 9AM to 10AM Pacific + Bonus Session Sept. 6!
$25.00 USD
Instructor
Self-paced
101 | Ahimsa, Animal Advocacy, and Veganism
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101 | Ahimsa, Animal Advocacy, and Veganism
This course will focus on animal advocacy, ethics, and veganism. We will delve deep into the multiple reasons to live vegan and how a Jain ethic parallels with animal protection. The course is designed for Jains who want to learn more about veganism and for vegans and pre-vegans who are interested in learning more about Ahimsa and Jain Dharma. We will explore modern animal farming, animal agriculture’s environmental impact, fishing and our oceans, and more. Join us to learn about how the Jain way of life and ethical vegan living support and nurture each other.
$99.00 USD
Instructor
Self-paced
102 | Beyond Vegetarianism: Jain Veganism and the Promotion of Ahiṃsā
The first of its kind collaboration between the Jain Vegan Initiative and JAINA’s Ahimsak Eco-Vegan Committee, Arihanta Academy brings a course focused on veganism through the lens of applied Jainism. Throughout history, Jains have been at the forefront of promoting non-violence, with consideration of life extending to the microscopic level. Parallels can be found in ethical veganism, animal rights, environmentalism, and social justice. Those not familiar with veganism are welcome to join but prior knowledge is useful. The primary intention of this course is to serve as an introductory educational resource for those Jains who are already vegan or vegan-curious, to equip them with current, accurate information with which to promote a non-violent lifestyle.
$99.00 USD
Instructors
Live Online
1017 | Beasts & Beliefs: Animals and the Origins of Vegetarianism in the Ancient West
While the study of certain aspects of the ancient world may derive from mere intellectual curiosity, the study of other aspects is absolutely essential for our understanding of current social, political, and environmental circumstances. The latter dynamic is certainly the case with the history of ancient ideas about “the human” and “the animal.” These ideas, taken up and developed over centuries by Christian theologians and humanist philosophers, have shaped the radically anthropocentric worldview of Western nations. Most Europeans and North Americans are simply unconcerned with how we torture and kill billions of animals each year. They live, without knowing it, in a mental universe constructed by a handful of Greek and Roman philosophers. To escape this universe, it is useful and perhaps even necessary to know what Chrysippus, Epicurus, Cicero, or Saint Augustine said about animals and humans’ interactions with them. The objective of this course is to study—alongside the many pleas of the vegetarian philosophers of antiquity—the incomplete but triumphant responses of their carnist adversaries. Course Details6 hours of recorded video contentWeekly readings for self-study4 scheduled, 60-minute Live Q&A sessions with Professor Larue on November 22 and 29, December 6 and 13 from 9AM to 10AM PacificCourse Materials will be available beginning Monday, November 18, 2024
Live 4-week Course: Nov. 18 - Dec. 13, 2024