Exam 2 Flashcards
Which were the philosophical arguments for the vegetarian postion
To kill animals unnecessarily was unjust
Which were the philosophical arguments for the anti vegetarian postion
Humans are by nature superior to other species intellectually and physically
Animal kind was distinct from humankind and inferior
Which myth provide the background for ancient philosophical vegetarianism
Prometheus and the gift of the fire
Prometheus’ gift provided humans with the means by which to cook meat.
He stole fire from Mt. Olympus and gave it the the humans- taught humans how to use it
Humans learned to like the taste of meat in that they were not natural predators who easily took to raw flesh
Empedocles (supporter)
Killing and eating animals is unjust and impious because one would be consuming kin
Humans bear a kinship to animals, if eaten they would be guilty of cannibalism
All creatures posses some degree of thought and intelligence
Unjust to kill any living creature
Pythagoras- supporter
Concern for the suffering of animals
Way to accustom humasn to a simple life style
Health of body and mind
Metempsychosis= meat free diet , those that wanted to avoid eating their former kin reincarnated into animals.
All animals have rational souls capable of perception and memory
Plutarch devoted to vegetarianism
Sentiency
Equality of species
Unnatural diet for humans- eating raw meat is for beast
Ethical problems in torturing animals
Porphyry devoted to vegetarianism
Vegetarian diet is healthier than meat diet
Justice- it is unjust to hurt sentient beings
Plato (they coexist)
Does not condemn meat eating
Meat is considered wholesome food and recommended to athletes
Should be vegetarian in order to reestablish the link with animals found in the myth of the Golden age
Who was Aesop
Greek fabulost and storyteller
The Life of Aesop-fictional story of his life
Characteristics of aesopic fables
Animals in his fables speak, solve problems, and generally have human characteristics
Most important roman fabulists
Phaedrus
Babrius
Avianus
Panchatantra
Collection of interrelated animal fables
Classical Hindu text based on older oral traditions
Panchatantra vs Greek and Roman fables
Fables had independent origins in many ancient human cultures, some of which have common roots and some influenced by co sharing of fables
Aristotle works on animals
Parts of animals- animal anatomy and physiology
History of animals- pioneering work of zoology
Generations of animals- animals reproduction
Movement of animals- general principles of animal locomotion
Progression of animals- gait and movement in various kinds of animals
Aristotle- important in animal studies
Humans are different from animals
Interested in comparative anatomy and biology
Appeal to spiritual and intellectual characteristics and to humans upright posture
Aristotle knowledge of animals
First to attempt the creation of a taxonomic categorization and hierarchy of animals
Placing human characteristics first as the ideal model and comparing animal forms to them
Aristotle classification of animals (gene)
Birds
fish
cetaceans
Hard shelled animals- shellfish
Soft shelled aniamsl- crayfish, crabs, lobsters
Soft bodied animals- squid ans cuttlefish
Segmented animals- insects
Human animal relationships according to Aristotle
Nature is designed with specific ends
Shape of humans lips and tongues= pronouncable letters
How accurate is the information provided by Aristotle
Some truths but also some wrong- observational
Roundabout way of looking at the animals behavior
Pliny
Characteristics of his account on animals
Combined scientific exposition with anecdotal digression and stories form roman history
Moral component
Attribute human characteristics to animals
For broad audience
Pliny
Does he provide scientific or fantastic descriptions of animals
Both
Pliny
Does he provide information about medical remedies
Yes,
Blood of the elephant-
The scalp, teeth an dgenital of the hyena
Plutarch
Characteristics and the issues of his treaties on animals
Anthropomorphic animals
His knowledge derives from earlier treaties not from experimentation
Contradicts himself- eating of meat, superior being
Plutarch
What is theriophily
That animals are superior to humans
Admiration for the character and behavior of animals
Plutarch
What type of essay is Gryllus
Moralia
Roman triumph
Ceremony held to publicly celebrate the success of a military commander who:
Had successfully completed a foreign war
Enlarged the borders of the Roman state
Had killed at least 5000 enemies
Have had independent command as magistrate
Procession-> a sacrifice-> victory games
How were the animals used and displayed in Roman triumph
4 white horses would pull the chariot
Bulls and oxen were sacrificed- walked infront of procession dressed fancy- bred specifically for this event
How were animals used for entertainment in ancient Rome
Exotic animals were used in the games that followed rhe procession,
Collected in foreign conquered countries or presented as gifts from kings
Accounts on animals in roman games
Mosaics from the Roman villa
Zliten mosaic
Theories explaining why Roman’s enjoyed watching the public slaughter of animals
Natural world was a frightened space, animals harmed them or preyed on their crops or live stocks
Animals killing other animals- violence in the world
Humans killing animals- making a secure environment for themselves
Animals killing humans- punishment for criminals, prisoners of war etc.
Impact of roman games on animals
Large numbers of the species of animals killed within a few days
Enormous amount perished
