Karen S. Emmerman w/ Amy Reed-Sandoval

Karen S. Emmerman presents Defending Animals, Disappointing People, a ground-breaking exploration of what happens when caring deeply about animals places us in conflict with the people we love. She'll be joined in conversation by Amy Reed-Sandoval.

Registration is not required, but helps us anticipate audience size.

Drawing on care ethics and relational philosophy, Karen S. Emmerman develops relational vegan ecofeminism, a framework that takes animals' moral standing seriously while also acknowledging the emotional, cultural, and familial stakes woven into human traditions. Rather than treating veganism as a simple matter of ethical prioritization, Emmerman shows that refusing a grandmother's lovingly prepared chicken soup, or rejecting a family hunting tradition, carries profound relational weight. These moments produce “moral remainders” of lingering hurt, regret, or estrangement that persists even when we make the best ethical choice.

Through richly contextual analysis, Emmerman argues that ethical life requires more than clear principles: it requires relational moral attention, a practice of empathy, repair, curiosity, and mutual recognition. Balancing philosophical rigor with narrative warmth, the book illuminates the tensions, grief, and possibilities at the heart of living ethically in a speciesist world. Defending Animals, Disappointing People sets out a hopeful yet honest path for navigating both inter-animal and intra-cultural conflicts – one that neither abandons animals nor dismisses the humans with whom we form our deepest connections.

Karen S. Emmerman, PhD, has a passion for engaging students, professionals and the community at large in applying philosophical thinking to ethical decision-making. As an independent scholar and affiliate instructor in philosophy at the University of Washington, she specializes in ecofeminist animal ethics and philosophy with children. Karen is an active contributor to both fields through publications in anthologies, journals, and online and through engagement in public philosophy including ethics consultations with animal sanctuaries and over a decade on the advisory board of a vegan food justice organization. She has taught thousands of K-12 students and educators internationally through her work as both a philosopher-in-residence in Seattle public schools and her long tenure as Education Director for the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO). Karen is the author of Defending Animals, Disappointing People (publishing 8/20/26 with Bloomsbury Academic). For more information, see www.karensemmerman.com.