The Imaginary Wall

From an award-winning journalist, a transformative look at how we cut ourselves off from the animal world and what reclaiming our kinship might mean for us and the future of the planet.



For centuries, Western societies have been structured around an imaginary wall separating humans from all other life on earth. We have been told our unique cognitive abilities set us apart from other species, that human biology and animal biology are separate disciplines, and that humans alone create culture and make history. And yet, each of the qualities purported to prove our distinctiveness in nature have been found in other non-human species. Now, the limits of human exceptionalism have become clear, and the ideology of what's been called a "new animism" is emerging.



Through historical analysis, personal narrative, and original reportage from inside factory farms, animal cognition labs, and Jain ashrams, The Imaginary Wall traces this story from its inception in the 17th century to its incorporation into science, society, and our everyday lives-and how its impending collapse could revolutionize our ideas about ourselves, our fellow creatures, and our common future.