Howard Williams
1883 |  Howard Williams, Ethics of Diet ([First Edition:] London & Manchester, 1883,); 2nd Edition Expanded and Revised (Manchester & London, 1896; Online Edition: Animal Rights History, 2006).[ebook history]
1883 | Howard Williams, "Hesiodos" chap 1 in The Ethics of Diet.
It is possible that the Orphic Societies, originating about the eighth or seventh century, B.C., to some extent at least [practiced] abstinence from flesh-foods—and which claimed the semi-legendary Orpheus as their founder, may claim the honour of having inaugurated in the West this most important of social revolutions. That the preference for the purer diet, evidently displayed in the Hesiodic poems, derived its origin in part from these Orphic sacred or semi-sacred writings, though an uncertain, is a reasonable, conjecture. Hesiod, who, like his yet more celebrated (epic) successor, has given his name to a collection of world-famous poems, may be regarded as the poetic representative of Agriculture and peaceful Industry, as "Homer" is of War and the heroic virtues.…The well-known verses, in which is figured the gradual declension of men from the Golden to the present Iron race, may be taken as the remote original of all later poetic fictions of Golden Ages and Times of Innocence.
1883 | Howard Williams, "Pythagoras" chap 2 in The Ethics of Diet.
"A GREATER good never came, nor ever will come, to man than that which was imparted by the gods through Pythagoras." Such is the enthusiastic expression of admiration of one of his biographers. If this eulogy indicates the importance of the radical reformation in the dietary habits of his species, attempted by the first historical founder of anti-Kreophagy in the West, to the profounder students of the course of human history it may scarcely seem to be the extravagant estimate of mere hero-worship. Nor, if his teaching be regarded as a factor in the development of human thought, or of metaphysical speculation, is it possible to over-rate his influence. By all who are acquainted with the historical development of Hellenic philosophy, the influence of Pythagoreanism, direct or indirect, upon the later Jewish, and upon very early Christian ideas, will be recognised to be as important as it is indisputable.
Howard Williams, "Sakya-Muni" chap 3 in The Ethics of Diet
IN the history of the development of thought—in the revelation whether of moral or of physical truth—few facts are more remarkable than the coincidence of simultaneous announcement by independent and sometimes far-separated thinkers. Whether the philosopher of Samos, or the great religious revolutionist of the East, have the priority of claim to the assertion of the sublime moral truths of Anti-kreophagy may be matter of doubt. But all probability seems to be in favour of the Eastern; since from the (remoter) East—from Persia and Hindustan—in the earlier periods of history, the most influential religious, or semi-religious, ideas always have emanated. In respect to flesh-eating, it is certain that to some extent, and in some degree, before the age of the Buddha, abstinence from animal food formed one of the sacred dogmas of Brahmanism and the Vedas. But the principle rested wholly, on religious or ascetic dogma with that sacerdotal caste-religion. It was the great Hindu prophet who first proclaimed it as a great moral truth, and based it upon the sublime doctrine of universal justice and compassion.
Howard Williams, "Empedocles" chap 4 in The Ethics of Diet
THE most remarkable of the poet-philosophers of Antiquity—the highly eulogised of the greatest of Latin poets—Empedoklês, may fitly be regarded as Pythagorean in his ethical principles.…Only fragments of his philosophical poems On Nature, the Discourse on Medicine (some 470 verses), and the Lustral Precepts remain. It is thus that he sings of the "Golden Age":—" Then every animal was tame, and familiar with men—both mammals and birds; and mutual love prevailed The trees flourished with perpetual leaves and fruits, and ample crops adorned their boughs throughout the year Nor had these happy people any War-God, nor had they any mad violence for their divinity. Nor was their monarch Zeus or Kronos or Poseidon, but Queen Kypris [the divinity of Love]. Her favour they besought with fragrant essences, and censers of pure myrrh, and frankincense, and with golden honey. The altars did not yeek with the blood of oxen."
Howard Williams, "Plato" chap 5 in The Ethics of Diet
Howard Williams, "Asoka" chap 6 in The Ethics of Diet
Howard Williams, "Ovidius" chap 7 in The Ethics of Diet
Howard Williams, "Senecca" chap 8 in The Ethics of Diet
Howard Williams, "Musonius" chap 9 in The Ethics of Diet
Howard Williams, "Tertullian" chap 11 in The Ethics of Diet
Howard Williams, "James Thomson" chap 26 in The Ethics of Diet
Howard Williams, "David Hartley" chap 28 in The Ethics of Diet
 Transcriber's Notes
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Howard Williams, The Ethics of Diet, A Cantena ([First Edition:] London & Manchester, 1883); The Ethics of Diet, A Biographical History of the Literature of Human Dietetics, From the Earliest Period to the Present Day, ([2nd Edition Expanded and Revised:] Manchester & London, 1896); ([Abridged Edition:] London & Manchester, 1907); The Ethics of Diet, A Catena of Authorities Deprecatory of Flesh Eating with a Introduction by Carol Adams ([Fascimile Reprint of the 1st Edition with an Appendix of Additions from the 2nd Edition] University of Illinois, 1995); [Online Edition, transcribed from the 2nd edition of 1896] (Animal Rights History, 2006).
"Now we can join Gandhi and Tolstoy and nameless others who encountered this vigorous and invigorating book. Welcome to a company of radicals who believed we could and should stop eating non-human animals. They brought vegetarianism out of history and into the here and now."—from the introduction
by Carol Adams.
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