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Jacksons''s Debate,” authored by Marqv Neves challenges speciesism through the lens of a fictional, “alien” civilization. With satire and philosophical depth, the fictional novella invites critical reflection on the moral boundaries human beings construct and the arbitrary lines we draw between species.
Marqv Neves states, “In my opinion, fiction — particularly satirical fiction — has the ability to reach those who wouldn’t typically engage with these discussions. By presenting a perspective that flips the script, as I attempt to do in "The Jacksons’ Debate," readers might stop and think: “hang on, If this situation with animals applied to us, it would be utterly unacceptable.”
Fiction provides a way to explore these ideas without being didactic, instead inviting readers to reflect in their own time and on their own terms.”
Neves continued, “The more people begin to feel a sense of outrage over the treatment of animals, the more likely it becomes that meaningful change will follow. I see fiction as one way to encourage that reflection, to push the conversation beyond existing boundaries, and to present the issue from a perspective that demands consideration.”
Ultimately, the story "The Jacksons' Debate" asks: Are the ways we justify our actions so different from the rationalizations that these fiction based aliens are making? The book is published by Thrive Publishing. The author hopes that the book will help human beings “think and act more compassionately about non-human animals,” by putting the shoe on the other foot, so to speak, “What if aliens thought about humans in the way that human beings think of non-human animals?”
Neves shines the light on the ethical debates that The Jacksons’ are having, speaking much about humans as humans are often thinking and using non-human animals. In Neves book, The Jacksons wear robes that last them hundreds of years, a rather simple attire, and the clothing never wears out, and the humans, as pointed out in the book, seem to wear clothing at time that isn’t sustainable and sometimes for the sake of an “odd” cultural code (as perceived by the fictional "aliens"), often times wearing clothing that isn’t even comfortable for their environment.
The Jacksons’ Debate serves as a reminder that just because one doesn’t understand everything about another species, it does not lessen the worth or inherent value of another, nor does it lessen the fact that they have sentience and have a need for respect, love, empathy and compassion.
Author Marqv Neves points out that every animal has their own communication system, they all feel - experiencing both hurt and joy for example, each species having abilities that are not fully understood by humans; they have gifts and special abilities of their own.
Neves discussed examples of other animals and their unique abilities, abilities that most humans don’t have (every sentient being has their own gifts and talents) - for starters, dolphins have the ability to know that someone is pregnant without an advance test.Stating, "Dolphins can instinctively detect when their partner is pregnant — a capability that is normal for many species, including elephants, who can sense the same. Humans, by contrast, need advanced medical technology to determine for certain that there is pregnancy and even then, only after a certain amount of time.”
One hears of dogs knowing this too, and they can sense it about human beings, often becoming more loving and “clingy” in the best sense of the word, when their human mom is pregnant; often knowing even before she does.
Animals are sentient beings, as humans are sentient beings, with families, communication systems, and their life has inherent worth, as each matters. The book hopes to shatter the illusion of speciesism and anthropocentrism. And if one considers another species to be “beneath them” a biased view of speciesism, shouldn't there be greater care for another's well-being even from that viewpoint; a desire to treat them with compassion to protect them, as all would expect and hope for the same mercy from another species - respect, kindness, compassion and love.
There is a Pierre Troubetzkoy quote discussing the aforementioned, as well as Schopenhauer’s statement as follows, “The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion (for all sentient beings) is the only guarantee of morality.”
Marqv Neve’s hope for the book, “I hope that more people recognize that all animals are worthy of love, compassion, respect and that they deserve to be free from harm. Their sentience cannot be denied, just like ours cannot. In terms of my “flip the script” storyline, I hope this helps readers to understand that just like animals, we would not want to be a resource to someone, The Jacksons’ Debate is available at Good Reads, which links to Amazon for purchase: The Jacksons' Debate by Marqv Neves | Goodreads.
Marqv Neves Concludes, “Surely, being in close contact with animals from an early age inherently teaches you that they are beings with their own will, capabilities, and ways of life. This understanding wasn’t taught to me — it was something ingrained as I observed and grew alongside them. My first dog, Scooby, was a Yorkshire Terrier, and he was with me from the age of four until I was 23 — a full 19 years of companionship.
He constantly showed me that he had his own will and a mischievous way of asserting it. It took us a while to figure out his antics because he was so clever about it. He’d hear us arriving and immediately jump down, sometimes even hiding to avoid being caught. How can one possibly deny the sentience of such a cheeky, deceiving little dog?” Or a cow, or a pig, or a turkey or a chicken, and every animal.. Every animal has sentience and a will, and a right to live free from harm, and to be treated with respect, love, empathy and compassion.
Marcus Vinicius Neves is an attorney, environmental advocate and researcher. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Sustainable Development at the University of Sussex, remotely through the online program from his home in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil . As Marqv Neves states, “I utilize my legal background to approach challenges with a policy-driven mindset.”
Through his work with Thrive Fiction, the publisher of "The Jacksons’ Debate," he also writes articles in an effort to engage readers with stories of sustainable development, advocating for kindness, love and respect for all - human and animal. Through Thrive Fiction, they recently launched a new initiative titled, "Can Fiction Help Us Thrive?"where they explore how fiction can contribute to broader advocacy efforts for compassion for all sentient beings. His novella, "The Jacksons' Debate" is a story that dives into interspecies ethics and challenges anthropocentric views.