Kurt Kotrschal

“We Humans Need Animals by Our Side”

“We’ve evolved alongside them; they shape our culture, our psyche, and even our social lives,” says Kurt Kotrschal about our fellow creatures—the animals.(Bild: Rooobert Bayer)

In his new book, Kurt Kotrschal explores the relationship triangle between humans, animals, and society—and calls for a change in thinking. In an interview with the “Krone,” he explains why he considers animals to be individuals and shares his views on meat consumption.

What would humans be without other animals? In his new book, “Our Right to a Life with Animals,” Kurt Kotrschal, the renowned behavioral scientist, explores this fascinating question.

With great personal passion and a keen sense of the connection between humans and animals, he offers surprising perspectives on nature. And he makes it clear: Humans need animals as partners in the world. He even calls for a right to harmonious coexistence between humans and animals.

“Krone”: What inspired you to write this book?
Kurt Kotrschal: Animals are still treated as “things,” even though, as we now know, many of them aren’t all that different from us. It’s equally clear that humans need other animals to lead a good life. My book aims to show how deeply we are connected and what gives rise to the right—not only of humans but also of animals—to live together harmoniously.

Animals are often portrayed as if they were important only for our well-being. But aren’t animals much more than that?
It should not be underestimated that people who have good relationships with animals—such as dogs—tend to live healthier and longer lives on average. But that is only part of the story. We keep animals under sometimes cruel conditions and eat them—and sometimes they eat us, too. In doing so, we tend to overlook how closely we are related to them—both physically and mentally—that human spirituality arose from our relationship with animals, and that they have been of paramount importance throughout human history. Our relationships with other animals define us as human beings and as a cultural entity.

“Our Right to a Life with Animals,” Residenz Verlag, €22(Bild: Residenz Verlag)

How can we finally start seeing animals differently?
Of course, there is a vast variety of animals, from amoebas to chimpanzees. At least with many mammals and birds—and even with some fish—we share a complex coexistence, intellectual capabilities, and social dynamics: These animals are individuals just like us, and therefore similar moral standards must apply to them.

But then we could no longer practice factory farming.
Of course, this remains theoretical, because while the number of vegans is rising, it will never encompass all of humanity (especially since the meat lobby is doing everything in its power to resist it). So there remains a great deal of ambivalence, which I also address in the book. Important steps would include showing more respect for companion animals and wildlife, but also for farm animals. In fact, there is no longer any fundamental difference between humans and other animals. This view is now shared by university ethicists and many young people.

Do you eat meat, or are you a vegetarian?
I’m a flexitarian, with vegetarian phases. As I have to admit, we still eat meat occasionally, though it’s from known sources, not from factory farming. But of course, the animals still have to be killed.

I’m alarmed by how rapidly wildlife habitats are being lost. What does that mean for us humans?
It threatens our quality of life and our children’s future, since we depend on the “ecosystem services” provided by these habitats and their inhabitants. After all, all our food comes from nature. We can’t eat steel, glass, or concrete! We therefore need more organic and nature-based agriculture and forestry, rewetted bogs, and rivers freed from their concrete constraints to slow the still-rampant loss of wildlife and to absorb greenhouse gases.

What does this mean for the claim that we have the right to live alongside animals?
It means, for example, that our homes and neighborhoods are suitable for coexisting with other animals. Above all, however, this also means—conversely—the right of other animals to live well alongside us humans without being massively exploited, This applies just as much to pets and companion animals as it does to the animals in the world’s meat factories. And, of course, to the remaining wild animals that still exist on Earth.

Which animal are you currently living closely with? 
With an older female dog and a very old male dog, both Eurasiers; we enjoy spending time together and going on long walks. In addition, freshwater and saltwater fish, as well as many other creatures, inhabit the aquariums in the house. In the garden, chickens, newts, insects, spiders, and snails amaze me every day, as do the birds that visit. My life without these other animals would be impoverished!