The philosophical origins of vegetarianism. Greek Philosophers and Animal World
Coeval philosophical texts provide no information about the extent to which the Ancient World practiced vegetarianism or about its concrete aspects. However, they offer a rich array of the arguments used to both justify and promote it. The present paper will focus on the four main philosophical argu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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LED Edizioni Universitarie
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Relations |
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| Online Access: | http://www.ledonline.it/index.php/Relations/article/view/1153 |
| _version_ | 1811296837199462400 |
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| author | Letterio Mauro |
| author_facet | Letterio Mauro |
| author_sort | Letterio Mauro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Coeval philosophical texts provide no information about the extent to which the Ancient World practiced vegetarianism or about its concrete aspects. However, they offer a rich array of the arguments used to both justify and promote it. The present paper will focus on the four main philosophical arguments in favor of vegetarianism. These arguments were proposed and revised by various authors. The four arguments that will be studied are: the ascetic-religious one, mainly used by the Orphic tradition and then taken up by various authors, especially the Pythagoreans; the one based on the biopsychological affinity of all living beings, and coherently promoted by Theophrastus; the one based on the dignity and value of the animal world, widely developed especially by Plutarch; and finally the one, central to Porphyry’s treatise, that relates abstinence from meat to the need of the soul to elevate itself to the divine and be purified of any element linking it to the body. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:55:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c384cb92ac684ca3b1e535bf4323fb3f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2283-3196 2280-9643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:55:12Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | LED Edizioni Universitarie |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Relations |
| spelling | doaj.art-c384cb92ac684ca3b1e535bf4323fb3f2022-12-22T02:59:39ZengLED Edizioni UniversitarieRelations2283-31962280-96432017-06-0151132610.7358/rela-2017-001-maur879The philosophical origins of vegetarianism. Greek Philosophers and Animal WorldLetterio MauroCoeval philosophical texts provide no information about the extent to which the Ancient World practiced vegetarianism or about its concrete aspects. However, they offer a rich array of the arguments used to both justify and promote it. The present paper will focus on the four main philosophical arguments in favor of vegetarianism. These arguments were proposed and revised by various authors. The four arguments that will be studied are: the ascetic-religious one, mainly used by the Orphic tradition and then taken up by various authors, especially the Pythagoreans; the one based on the biopsychological affinity of all living beings, and coherently promoted by Theophrastus; the one based on the dignity and value of the animal world, widely developed especially by Plutarch; and finally the one, central to Porphyry’s treatise, that relates abstinence from meat to the need of the soul to elevate itself to the divine and be purified of any element linking it to the body.http://www.ledonline.it/index.php/Relations/article/view/1153VegetarianismAnimals in AntiquityPhilosophical AnthropologyOrphismPythagoreanismNeoplatonismMiddleplatonismPhilosophical Lifestyle in AntiquitySacrifices of AnimalsDignity and Value of the Animal World |
| spellingShingle | Letterio Mauro The philosophical origins of vegetarianism. Greek Philosophers and Animal World Relations Vegetarianism Animals in Antiquity Philosophical Anthropology Orphism Pythagoreanism Neoplatonism Middleplatonism Philosophical Lifestyle in Antiquity Sacrifices of Animals Dignity and Value of the Animal World |
| title | The philosophical origins of vegetarianism. Greek Philosophers and Animal World |
| title_full | The philosophical origins of vegetarianism. Greek Philosophers and Animal World |
| title_fullStr | The philosophical origins of vegetarianism. Greek Philosophers and Animal World |
| title_full_unstemmed | The philosophical origins of vegetarianism. Greek Philosophers and Animal World |
| title_short | The philosophical origins of vegetarianism. Greek Philosophers and Animal World |
| title_sort | philosophical origins of vegetarianism greek philosophers and animal world |
| topic | Vegetarianism Animals in Antiquity Philosophical Anthropology Orphism Pythagoreanism Neoplatonism Middleplatonism Philosophical Lifestyle in Antiquity Sacrifices of Animals Dignity and Value of the Animal World |
| url | http://www.ledonline.it/index.php/Relations/article/view/1153 |
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