Transcending the State of Nature: Technology and the Paradigm Shift in Human-Animal Relations

The concept of the state of nature has long been debated in political philosophy; the state of nature describes the hypothetical or actual condition individuals and groups existed in prior to the formation of formal governance or social contracts. On some views of the state of nature this condition was marked by conflicting interests and a perpetual violent struggle between individuals and groups. While modern, technologically-developed societies have developed norms and social contracts that…