124. What Can a Matriarchal Society Teach Us About Sex and Compassion? A Bonobo Perspective with Dr. Lori Gruen (S13)

Send us a textEpisode 8 of the series: Sex and Animals  TranscriptDr. Lori Gruen, a philosopher and scholar in animal studies. Join us as to unpack what these primates can teach us about power, intimacy, and societal structures.Guest: Lori Gruen is the William Griffin Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Science in Society at Wesleyan University where she also coordinates Wesleyan Animal Studies. Her work lies at the intersection of ethical and political theory and practice, with a particular focus on issues that impact those often overlooked in traditional ethical investigations, e.g. women, people of color, incarcerated people, non-human animals. She is currently working to unpack carceral logics by thinking through a complex set of issues like dignity, self-respect, empathy, disposability, and hope and hopelessness.Book Recommendation:  Doggerel: Poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts Related Episodes: E10: The Vision and Mission of Born Free USA with CEO Angela GrimesE22: Ecofeminism and Entangled Empathy with Lori Gruen86: Can Dog Cuddling Influence Reduced Meat Consumption? Care Ethics with Dr. Maurice Hamington (S9)Support the showShow Credits⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Read the Blog! (Guest profiles, book recommendations, trailers and more!) What to start your own podcast in he Animal Advocacy or Animal Welfare Space? Check out my ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast Mentoring Services⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a Patron! ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the NewsletterMentioned in this episode:PHAIR Conference CoverageNew Miniseries begins Summer 2026