Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher and author
(1788-1860)
"Because Christian morality leaves animals out of account, they are at
once outlawed in philosophical morals; they are mere 'things,' mere means to
any ends whatsoever. They can therefore be used for vivisection, hunting,
coursing, bullfights, and horse racing, and can be whipped to death as they
struggle along with heavy carts of stone. Shame on such a morality that is
worthy of pariahs, and that fails to recognize the eternal essence that
exists in every living thing, and shines forth with inscrutable significance
from all eyes that see the sun!"
~ On the Basis of Morality
"Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man."
"All truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self evident."
“Unlike the intellect, it [the Will] does not depend on the perfection of
the organism, but is essentially the same in all animals as that which is
known to us so intimately. Accordingly, the animal has all the emotions of
humans, such as joy, grief, fear, anger, love, hatred, strong desire, envy,
and so on. The great difference between human and animal rests solely on the
intellect's degrees of perfection.”
~ On the Will in Nature, “Physiology and Pathology.”
“I know of no more beautiful prayer than that which the Hindus of old used in closing their public spectacles. It was: ‘May all that have life be delivered from suffering.’”
