Bearing Witness

This open access book is the biography of one Britain’s foremost animal welfare campaigners and world activism, science, politics she inhabited. In 1964, Ruth Harrison’s bestseller Animal Machines triggered a gear change in modern protection by popularising term ‘factory farming’ alongside new way thinking about welfare. Here, historian Claas Kirchhelle explores avant-garde upbringing, Quakerism, how debates were linked to concerns wider ethical environmental trajectories post-war Britain. Breaking myth Harrison as one-hit wonder, reconstructs 46 years campaigning rapid transformation science during this time. Exacerbated own actions, decades after 1964 saw polarisation politics, professionalisation British rise science. belief incremental reform allowed her form ties leading scientists but alienated from more radical campaigners. Many demands gradually became part mainstream politics. However, farm welfare’s increasing marketisation has also led relative divorce agenda social improvement that once bore witness to. first cast light on interlinked frequently uneasy histories legislation. Its unique scope allows it go beyond limited existing accounts will be interest those interested welfare, environmentalism, behavioural sciences.