Animals' Rights Considered in Relation to Social Progress

Dierenrechtenbibliotheek

by Henry Stephens Salt

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE CASE OF WILD ANIMALS. That wild animals, no less than domestic animals, have their rights, albeit of a less positive character and far less easy to define, is an essential point which follows directly from the acceptance of the general principle of a textit{jus animalium. It is of the utmost importance to emphasize the fact that, whatever the textit{legal fiction may have been, or may still be, the rights of animals are not textit{morally dependent on the so-called rights of property; it is not to owned animals merely that we must extend our sympathy and protection. The domination of property has left its trail indelibly on the records of this question. Until the passing of Martin's Act in 1822, the most atrocious cruelty, even to domestic animals, could only be punished where there was proved to be an infringement of the rights of ownership.1 This monstrous iniquity, so far as relates to the domestic animals, has now been removed; but the only direct legal protection yet accorded to wild animals (except in the Wild Birds' Protection Act of 1880) is that which prohibits their being baited or 1 See the excellent remarks on this subject in Mr. E. B. Nicholson's The Rights of an Animal (ch. III.). pitted in conflict; otherwise, it is open for anyone to kill or torture them with impunity, except where the sacred privileges of property are thereby offended. Everywhere, it has been well said, it is absolutely a capital crime to be an unowned creature. Yet surely an unowned creature has the same right as another to live his life unmolested and uninjured except when this is in some way inimical to human welfare. We are justified by the strongest of all instincts, that of self-defence, in safe-guarding ourselves against such a multiplication...

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Vegan, Vegetarianism

44 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1892

About the author

Henry Stephens Salt (/sɔːlt, sɒlt/; 20 September 1851 – 19 April 1939) was an English writer and campaigner for social reform in the fields of prisons, schools, economic institutions, and the treatment of animals. He was a noted ethical vegetarian, anti-vivisectionist, socialist, and pacifist, and was well known as a literary critic, biographer, classical scholar and naturalist.

Reviews

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m flabbergasted by how relevant this book still is. The book has been written 130 years ago, and the argumentation can easily be transferred to contemporary world.

Animal rights should be at the top of the political agenda, as positive changes in that field would be highly beneficial to a lot of issues (climate change, animal suffering, physical and mental health, diseases of affluence,…).

An important task is reserved for education, as Salt rightly points out.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“De grote vooruitgang van de wereld, gedurende alle eeuwen, kan worden afgemeten aan de toename van menselijkheid en de afname van wreedheid.”
Brandende actualiteit uit 1892. Grote denker.

[Sofie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voor een boek uitgegeven in 1894 is dit verbazingwekkend relevant en interessant.

[Mischa Daanen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Salt has some interesting points but it quickly becomes repetitive and half the book consists of footnotes. Reads like an unfinished essay that’s barely been edited.

[Kritika Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am grateful for the work Salt did with this peace. He was an ethical vegetarian and believed in a cruelty free life and his work reflects that. This book is a sort of testament for everyone who wants to start reading and knowing about animals' rights as it is one of the early pillars in developing the voice of ethics and rights for animals.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every vegan and vegetarian.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a bit of a shock that this book was written around 130 years ago. The arguments presented are similar, although less refined and visceral, to those presented in Peter Singer's "Animal Liberation." The concept of veganism, and the issues of dairy, eggs, and wool are almost entirely absent, but the impetus of the call for the recognition of animals' rights is clear and present throughout. It is a great book, and without doubt one that has not been given it's share of attention. I recorded the audiobook version of this book, which is in the public domain, for Librivox, and it should be available on their website and on the Internet Archive later this week for free.

[Dries Türkben · Rating 3 out of 5]

het lezen ging echt moeilijk en toen kwam ik erachter dat het boek al meer dan 130 jaar oud is lmaoooo anyway alles wat hij aanhaalt is interessant en meneer Salt doorzeeft alle tegenargumenten van die domhoofden die zeggen dat men dieren mag pijn doen.

[Martijn Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

130 jaar oud essay over het belang van dierenrechten en educatie. Zo scherp geschreven dat het nu nog toepasbaar is.

[Mathijs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aardig, maar het rommelt nog hier en daar

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Salt the man that you are