Zoopolis: Imagining a Just Multi-species World

For many of its advocates, veganism is not just about abstaining from the consumption of animal products, but is rather tied to, and derived from, broader political commitments that seek to eliminate animal oppression and exploitation (Cochrane & Cojocaru, 2023). But what might our world look like, once injustice towards animals is eliminated? What shape could or would relationships between different animals, human and non-human, take in such a world? What kinds of social structures and political institutions would be appropriate for creating and maintaining just relationships between different animals, human and non-human? A growing literature in political philosophy has sought to offer answers to these questions, building on a growing interest in understanding the positive requirements of interspecies justice. The term ‘zoopolis’ has come to capture the idea of a multi-species community in which the moral status of non-human animals is recognised and protected. This chapter explores some recent contributions to the development of this idea, focusing in particular on the work by Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka and critical responses to it.