A challenge to what we think it means to be human.

We like to think of ourselves as rational, moral beings—guided by principles and set apart from the rest of the natural world. But what if some of our most deeply held beliefs about ourselves are built on assumptions we have never properly examined?

I Am Not an Animal explores how humans construct and defend the idea that we are fundamentally different from other animals, and what happens when that distinction begins to break down. Drawing on philosophy, science, and critical thinking, it examines the gap between what we believe and how we act—and the consequences of that gap.

Rather than offering easy answers, the book invites a more difficult process: to examine the frameworks we rely on, and to consider what follows if we take our own principles seriously.

Why This Book

  • We believe we are rational — but do our actions reflect that?
  • We claim compassion — but where do we draw the line?
  • We see ourselves as distinct — but on what basis?

About the Author

Derek du Toit writes about how people construct ideas of identity, morality, and reality, and how those ideas shape behaviour. Drawing on a background in systems thinking and critical analysis, and more than fifteen years of writing on animal ethics and human behaviour, his work examines where commonly held assumptions may be incomplete, inconsistent, or shaped by social conditioning.

→ [Read more about the author]

Origins of the Book

The ideas explored in I Am Not an Animal developed over many years through articles and essays on animal ethics, human behaviour, and moral reasoning. Several themes first explored in earlier work have been expanded and integrated into the broader argument presented here.

Keep Informed

If you want to know when the book is published, please join our mailing list


Scroll to Top