Episode 74: Animal Ethics and Theology with Cogen Bohanec, PhD

On today’s episode we have a recurring guest joining us, Hope’s husband, Cogen Bohanec. Hope and Cogen start us off with a big announcement and then Cogen discusses his work as a constructive theologian in the Dharma Traditions and how he connects Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Dharma with environmental and animal rights issues. He talks about eco-psychology, eco-theology, karma theory, and the dangers of “human exceptionalism.” Cogen also talks about his recent writings regarding animal personhood, animals’ intrinsic value, and how we can remove systems of oppression through religious and cultural transformation.

“It is a false binary to say that we are either altercentric (other centered) or egocentric. That’s a false binary. Actually it’s more of a dialectic, care for ourselves is care for the other. Care for the other is care for the self. It’s a both/and solution.” – Cogen Bohanec, PhD

We would like to thank A Well-Fed World (AWFW) for their generous support of this podcast! A Well-Fed World is an international hunger relief and food security organization advancing plant-based foods and farming to create a sustainable, nourished, and climate-friendly future. Learn more at awfw.org.

Resources:

Vegan, Animal Advocacy and Veganism is an online, self-study course with Hope Bohanec, offered by Arihanta Academy. Learn more and register for the spring semester here.

Other Episodes with Cogen:

Episode 48: Vegan Love and Rescue with Cogen and Hope Bohanec

Episode 57: The Vegan Hypocritical Imperative with Cogen and Hope Bohanec