The heretic's feast : a history of vegetarianism
Colin Spencer (Author)
"In this fascinating and informative story of vegetarianism since prehistoric times, Colin Spencer describes the religious, philosophical, and social aspects of vegetarianism, introducing such prominent and often colorful practitioners as Pythagoras, Ovid, Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Thomas More, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Leo Tolstoy, George Bernard Shaw, Gandhi, and Hitler. Though the word "vegetarian" was not coined until the mid-nineteenth century, the meatless diet has been around for as long as people have. Spencer describes the major movements that shared the doctrine as well as the surprisingly diverse moralities, perspectives, and philosophies that motivated them. He shows that vegetarianism, when not forced on humans by poverty, was often just one element in a radical ideology that repeatedly led to the marginalization of vegetarians in our society. This gracefully written and meticulously researched book presents not only a surprising slice through world history but also an unusual story of dissidence and revolt."--BOOK JACKET
Print Book, English, 1996
1st pbk. ed View all formats and editions
University Press of New England, Hanover, NH, 1996
History
xiii, 402 pages ; 24 cm
9780874517606, 9780874517088, 0874517605, 0874517087
31934191
In the beginning
Pythagoras and his inheritance
India
Plato to Porphyry
Early Christianity
Gnostic sects and the Manicheans
The Bogomils, the Cathars, and the Orthodox Church
The Renaissance
The clockwork universe
The Rise of Humanism
Docks and dandelions
Sunlight and sandals
Sentient or machine
Afterword
Appendixes