Sins of the Flesh is a fascinating, ground-breaking history of
ethical vegetarianism that will appeal to all readers concerned with
human-animal relations and the foundations of animal rights.
Description
Unlike previous books on the history of vegetarianism, Sins of the
Flesh examines the history of vegetarianism in its ethical
dimensions, from the origins of humanity through to the present. Full
ethical consideration for animals resulting in the eschewing of flesh
arose after the Aristotelian period in Greece and recurred in Ancient
Rome, but then mostly disappeared for centuries. It was not until the
turn of the nineteenth century that vegetarian thought was revived and
enjoyed some success; it subsequently went into another period of
decline that lasted through much of the twentieth century. The
authority-questioning cultural revolution of the 1960s brought a fresh
resurgence of vegetarian ethics that continues to the present day.