Rod Preece | |
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| Born | Rodney John Charles Preece (1939-08-15)August 15, 1939 Cheadle Hulme, England |
| Died | July 2, 2021(2021-07-02) (aged 81) Cheadle Hulme, England |
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| Education | University of Leicester (B.A.,PhD) |
| Occupation(s) | Political philosopher, historian |
| Spouse | Lorna Chamberlain |
| Partner | Janet Penny |
| Children | 2 |
Rodney John Charles Preece (August 15, 1939 – July 22, 2021) was an English-Canadianpolitical philosopher and historian ofanimal rights andvegetarianism. He was professor emeritus in the Department of Political Science atWilfrid Laurier University. Preece authored and edited 19 books on topics including animal rights and welfare, vegetarianism, German politics, socialization in Europe, and political theory.
Rodney John Charles Preece was born on 15 August 1939,[1] inCheadle Hulme, England.[2] He earned aB.A. in Philosophy andPhD in Political Science from theUniversity of Leicester.[2]
Preece went on to teach at theUniversity of Surrey and University of Leicester.[2] He moved to Canada in 1969, to lecture for a year at theUniversity of Waterloo; he later accepted a full-time position at the university.[1] In 1973, he joinedWilfrid Laurier University.[2] He was later Maurice Young Invited Research Scholar in the Centre for Applied Ethics at theUniversity of British Columbia.[3]
At the start of his career, Preece's work focused on European politics, especially German politics, before moving on to political philosophy and ideology, particularlyconservatism. Starting in the 1990s and for the remainder of his career, he focused entirely onanimal rights andwelfare.[2]
Preece authored and edited 19 books.[4] His bookAnimals and Nature: Cultural Myths, Cultural Realities, was short-listed for theHarold Adams Innis Prize,[5] theRaymond Klibansky Prize for the best book in the humanities and named aChoice Distinguished Academic Title.[6]
Preece served on the board of directors of theOntario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and served on the executive boards for theOxford Centre for Animal Ethics and the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, at theUniversity of Guelph. He was also vice-president of theCanadian Federation of Humane Societies.[2] Preece was also on the advisory board of theChristian Vegetarian Association.[7]
For many years, Preece owned an antique store inWaterloo, Ontario.[1] He was married to Lorna Chamberlain, who predeceased him; they had two children.[1]
In 2013 Preece moved back to Cheadle Hulme after reuniting with his past girlfriend Janet Penny.[1] He died there on July 22, 2021, at the age of 81.[2]
