Work · Hellenistic, Roman & Late Antique
On Abstinence from Killing Animals
Four books to a friend who had gone back to eating meat: animals have a share of reason, justice extends to them, and the philosopher should give up meat and blood sacrifice.
Introduction
Four books addressed to Firmus Castricius, a fellow pupil of Plotinus who had given up vegetarianism. Book I answers arguments for eating meat, Book II rejects animal sacrifice, Book III argues that animals have perception, memory and a share of reason and are therefore owed justice, and Book IV describes peoples and religious groups who abstained from meat. Porphyry addresses the philosopher, not the general public: a life devoted to freeing the soul from the passions has no need of meat. The work preserves long passages from lost authors, including Theophrastus’ treatise on piety, and is read today in debates on the moral status of animals. The end of Book IV is lost.
More works by Porphyry
- c. 270Isagoge (Introduction)
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