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When I play with my cat, how do I know she is not passing time with me rather than I with her?’ asked Montaigne back in the Renaissance. Present-day philosopher – and bestselling author of Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals – John Gray joins Marina Vaizey to discuss his latest book, subtitled Cats and the Meaning of Life. He draws on centuries of thought, including Descartes, Schopenhauer and Schrodinger, to explore the complex and intimate links that have defined how we react to and behave with this most unlikely pet – to give us a sense of our own animal nature.

Click here to buy Feline Philosophy from Blackwell’s.

John Gray‘s most recent book is the highly praised Seven Types of Atheism; his other books include Straw Dogs, Black Mass, The Soul of the Marionette and The Silence of Animals. He has kept feline companions for over thirty years.

Lady Marina Vaizey CBE is an art critic and writer. Formerly a member of the Arts Council, she has curated several exhibitions. She is currently a trustee for The Musical Brain and is on the editorial board for the magazine of the V&A.