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Animal Rights History Timeline » [BCE-CE] Antiquity » Porphyry

Porphyry

On Abstinence from Animal Food, Book the Third

[3rd c.] Porphyry, On Abstinence from Animal Food, Book the Third, in The Select Works of Porphyry, trans. by Thomas Taylor (London, 1823; Online at Animal Rights History, 2003)

Through these arguments, therefore, and others which we shall afterwards mention, in narrating the opinions of the ancients, it is demonstrated that brutes are rational animals, reason in most of them being indeed imperfect, of which, nevertheless, they are not entirely deprived. Since, however, justice pertains to rational beings, as our opponents say, how is it possible not to admit, that we should also act justly towards brutes? (112)