Dr Matthew Perry (he/him)

My research focuses on theories of dignity and rights, as well as the ethical and political norms surrounding our relationships with animals. My ESRC-funded PhD research argued that ‘human’ dignity should be replaced with ‘sentient’ dignity – a moral, political and legal status possessed by all sentient animals, which grounds inherent value and rights.

In recent work, I am tying these foundational concepts to the ethics and public policy of our social interactions with animals. My Leverhulme Trust funded project focuses on the ways in which human-animal relationships are often shaped by how animals serve us, for instance, as sources of food, companionship, or entertainment. My proposed project develops the concept of desubjectification, drawing parallels to dehumanisation, to identify precisely when human-animal relationships become morally problematic by disregarding an animal’s subjective experiences. It will investigate how these relationships should be reshaped by extending social standards surrounding dignity to animals, such as respect and minimal decency. The project offers guidelines for justice in human-animal relations, with recommendations for law and public policy.