A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays

A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays

First edition
Author	Henry S. Salt
Language	English
Subject	Vegetarianism, animal rights
Genre	Essay collection
Publisher	The Vegetarian Society
Publication date	1886
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (paperback and hardback)
Pages	115
OCLC	1050804885
Text	A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays at Wikisource

A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays is an essay collection by British writer and social reformer Henry S. Salt, first published in 1886 by the Vegetarian Society in Manchester. The work is a defence of vegetarianism, combining moral, aesthetic, economic, and practical arguments. It was among Salt's earliest contributions to the British vegetarianism and animal rights movements.

Background

Henry S. Salt

In the late 19th century, many vegetarian advocates were active in broader social reform movements. Henry S. Salt was a prominent example, known for his work on prison reform, education, economic justice, and animal welfare. A committed vegetarian, socialist, pacifist, and anti-vivisectionist, he founded the Humanitarian League in 1891. Often described as a pioneering figure in the animal rights movement, Salt was later credited by Mahatma Gandhi as an influence on his vegetarianism. A prolific writer, Salt published 40 books, beginning with A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays in 1886. In it, he sought to counter public prejudice against vegetarians by presenting the diet as economical, humane, moral, palatable, healthy, and conducive to sobriety.

Summary

The book consists of ten essays advocating a vegetarian diet and critiquing the societal norms that sustain meat consumption. Salt argues that vegetarianism is morally superior, economically beneficial, and conducive to health, citing both personal experience and contemporary scientific opinion. He also critiques the medical profession, sport hunting, and what he sees as fallacies commonly used to defend the slaughter of animals for food.

A Plea for Vegetarianism

In the opening essay, Salt presents a general defence of vegetarianism, addressing the ridicule often faced by those who abstain from meat. He outlines the economic benefits of a vegetarian diet, particularly its affordability compared to meat, and argues that it is both more humane and aesthetically preferable. He refutes common medical objections and stresses that the burden of proof lies with those who justify the routine killing of animals. Salt contends that vegetarianism aligns with both ethical reasoning and physical health, and he urges readers to consider the moral implications of their dietary habits.

Morality in Diet

This essay emphasises the ethical dimensions of diet, arguing that only a bloodless, plant-based diet is morally defensible. Salt critiques the social norms that disconnect consumers from the origins of their food and challenges the idea that eating meat can be compatible with refined moral sentiment. He appeals to the reader's conscience and points out the cognitive dissonance involved in condemning cruelty while participating in it through diet. Vegetarianism, he asserts, is uniquely consistent with gentleness, sympathy, and justice.

Good Taste in Diet

Salt extends his argument into the aesthetic realm, criticising the incongruity of sophisticated diners surrounding themselves with artistic decor while consuming food derived from slaughter. He questions whether flesh food can truly be regarded as tasteful, either in a sensory or a cultural sense. He critiques the hypocrisy of aesthetes who champion beauty and refinement while ignoring the violence inherent in their meals. True aesthetic sensibility, he argues, is incompatible with the consumption of animal flesh.

Some Results of Food Reform

This essay explores the secondary benefits of adopting a vegetarian diet. Salt observes that most vegetarians also abstain from alcohol and tobacco, suggesting a broader link between dietary reform and personal temperance. He argues that vegetarianism encourages simplicity, moderation, and better health, and that it could play a major role in combating social problems like drunkenness, poverty, and overconsumption. A reformed diet, he suggests, fosters both physical well-being and moral clarity.

Medical Men and Food Reform

Salt critiques the medical establishment for its resistance to vegetarianism, arguing that doctors are often influenced by professional bias and tradition rather than evidence. He compares them to other specialists whose narrow training may limit their impartiality. Drawing parallels to earlier medical errors regarding alcohol, he encourages laypeople to trust their experience and common sense rather than deferring unquestioningly to professional authority. Medical opinion, he concludes, should not be a barrier to food reform.

Sir Henry Thompson on "Diet"

Here Salt responds to a widely read article by Sir Henry Thompson, who conceded that meat is unnecessary in temperate climates but criticised the vegetarian movement. Salt rebuts Thompson's attack on the terminology and supposed sectarianism of vegetarians, arguing that the core issue is not purity of label but the rejection of slaughter. He welcomes Thompson's admission that meat is not essential, and underscores the economic, ethical, and aesthetic reasons for its abandonment—even if some vegetarians still use eggs or dairy.

On Certain Fallacies

In this wide-ranging essay, Salt addresses and refutes common objections to vegetarianism. He counters the idea that human anatomy favours carnivory, challenges the notion that meat is necessary in cold climates, and dismisses the argument that vegetarianism is impractical or self-indulgent. He also critiques appeals to nature, tradition, and religious authority, showing them to be inconsistent or misapplied. Throughout, he urges readers to question unexamined assumptions and rely on reason and lived experience.

Sport

Salt condemns blood sports such as hunting and shooting, arguing that they are morally indistinguishable from slaughter for food. He critiques the idea that such activities are character-building or noble, calling them cruel, unmanly, and degrading. Drawing on examples from history and literature, he challenges the romanticization of sport and highlights the contradiction of professing compassion while deriving pleasure from killing. He views sport as part of the same violent mentality that underlies meat-eating.

The Philosophy of Cannibalism

This satirical essay draws comparisons between meat-eating and cannibalism, arguing that the same justifications often used for eating animals could be—and historically have been—used for consuming humans. Salt surveys examples of cultural cannibalism and turns a critical eye on the logic that normalises one form of flesh consumption while abhorring the other. By parodying familiar arguments about tradition, necessity, and nature, he exposes the arbitrary moral lines drawn by meat-eaters.

Vegetarianism and Social Reform

In the final essay, Salt situates vegetarianism within the broader context of social and economic justice. He argues that dietary reform is essential for addressing poverty, food insecurity, and inequality, even if it is not a complete solution on its own. By reducing waste and promoting thrift, vegetarianism could help alleviate hunger and improve public health. Salt emphasises that no lasting social reform can succeed without addressing the ethics and economics of how people are fed.

Publication

A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays was first published in 1886 by the Vegetarian Society, based at Princess Street, Manchester. The book was printed and distributed by John Heywood (Deansgate and Ridgefield, Manchester; and Paternoster Buildings, London) and F. Pitman (Paternoster Row, London). It was issued in two formats: paper covers for one shilling and cloth-bound for one shilling and sixpence.

Legacy

A Plea for Vegetarianism reflects themes that Salt would further develop in his later works, such as Animals' Rights: Considered in Relation to Social Progress (1892).

The book had a notable influence on Mahatma Gandhi, who credited it with helping him understand the ethical rationale for vegetarianism beyond cultural tradition or personal vows. Gandhi later stated that Salt's work convinced him that abstaining from meat was a moral obligation and that humans should not live by exploiting other animals. Gandhi expressed particular gratitude for Salt's presence at a later vegetarian gathering, calling it a personal honour.

See also

• History of animal rights
• History of vegetarianism
• The Ethics of Diet

External links

• A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays at the Internet Archive