It is commonly assumed that serious philosophical reflection on animals goes back only a few hundred years, to the Utilitarians or to the rise of Darwinism. This volume shows that, to the contrary, animals have been a subject of controversy and reflection in all periods of the history of philosophy. We trace the story from Greek and Indian antiquity through the Islamic and Latin medieval traditions, to Renaissance and early modern thought, ending with contemporary ideas about animals. Two main questions that arise throughout the volume are: What capacities can be ascribed to animals, and How should we treat them? Notoriously ungenerous attitudes toward animals, for instance in Aristotle and Descartes, are shown to have been more nuanced than often supposed, while remarkable defenses of benevolence toward animals are unearthed in late antiquity, India, the Islamic world, and Kant. The book also includes philosophical exploration of such topics as cannibalism, animal instinct, and the scientific testing of animals. A series of interdisciplinary reflections sheds further light on human attitudes toward animals, looking at their depiction in visual artworks from China, Africa, and Europe, as well as the rich tradition of animal fables beginning with Aesop.