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Animal Rights History Timeline » [1660-1785] Enlightenment] » Hnery More

Henry More

Divine Dialogues

On the Province of God: Cruelty and Rapacity of Animals

[1688] Henry More, "Of the Cruelty and Rapacity of Animals," in vol. 1 of Divine Dialogues Containing Disquisitions Concerning the Attributes and Providence of God (Glasgow, 1743; Digitized by Google, Online at Archive.org).

The Cartesian hypothesisin this case is so far from helping out any difficulty in divine Providence, that it were the greatest demonstration in the world against the goodness thereof, if it were true; namely, that such an infinite number of animals, as we call them, capable of being so truly, and of enjoying a vital happiness, should be made but mere senseless puppets, and devoid of all the joys and pleasures of life.

Hylobares: But yet, methinks, it looks very harshly and cruelly, that one living creature should fall upon another and slay him, when he has done no wrong. (203-4)