Humanity Against Cruelty to Animals in Historical Literature, Timeline of Animal Rights History

Animal Rights History »»Wilhelm von Humboldt

1792 | The Sphere and Duties of Government

On the Solicitude of the State
for the Positive Welfare of the Citizen

And this is the very design which States have in view. They desire nothing so much as comfort, ease, tranquillity; and these are most readily secured when there is little or no discordancy among that which is individual. But that to which man’s energies are ever urging him, and towards which he must ceaselessly direct his efforts, is the very reverse of this inertness and uniformity,—it is variety and activity. It is to these alone we are to look for the free development of character in all its vigorous and multiform diversity of phase and manifestation; and, to appeal to the inner motive of the individual man, there can be no one, surely, so far sunk and degraded, as to prefer, for himself personally, comfort and enjoyment to greatness; and he who draws conclusions for such a preference in the case of others, may justly be suspected of misconceiving the essential nobleness of human nature, and of agreeing to transform his fellow-creatures into mere machines. (Wilhelm Von Humboldt, The Sphere and Duties of Government [1792], "On the Solicitude of the State for the Positive Welfare of the Citizen")

Links to the Primary Source
document the authenticity of quotations while providing more in-depth insight into the ideologies of humanity against cruelty to animals and additional historical perspective on the continuing struggle for animal rights, animal welfare and the protection of animals.

1792 | Wilhelm von Humboldt, The Sphere and Duties of Government (The Limist of State Action) translated from the German [First published, 1792] by Joseph Coulthard (London, 1854; Online Library of Liberty).

Quotes briefly introduce animal rights activists, animal welfare advocates and authors; the history of animal rights, animal welfare and animal protection; and the literature of the humane movement against cruelty to animals.

These pages are part of an ongoing effort to provide free online access to historical literature on animal rights, animal welfare and humanity against cruelty to animals.