An Essay on Humanity to Animals is a 1798 book by English theologian Thomas Young. It advocates for the ethical treatment and welfare of animals. It argues for recognizing animals' natural rights and condemns the various forms of cruelty inflicted upon them in human activities. Drawing on moral, scriptural, and philosophical reasoning, Young emphasizes the moral duty to prevent animal suffering and to adopt humane practices.
The book examines several issues, including the cruelty observed in children's behaviour, the brutality of blood sports, and the unnecessary harm caused by hunting and fishing for leisure. It also critiques the inhumane treatment of animals in agriculture and food production. Throughout, Young highlights animals' sentience and capacity for suffering, urging readers to recognize their ethical responsibility to ensure humane treatment.
Summary
The book is divided into several chapters, each addressing a specific aspect of human-animal relationships. The opening chapter establishes the connection between cruelty to animals and broader societal brutality. Young argues that acts of violence against animals desensitise individuals, fostering a general disposition of cruelty that can extend to human interactions. He underscores this by highlighting animals' sentience—their ability to perceive pleasure and pain—and argues that this capacity places a moral obligation on humans to treat them with compassion. He describes animal rights as stemming from the natural world and the Creator's will, asserting that animals' capacity for suffering establishes their moral entitlement to humane treatment. Young links humanity's treatment of animals with moral and spiritual well-being, drawing on Christian teachings and natural evidence to emphasise the duty of compassion and the Creator's intention for the happiness of all sentient beings.
Subsequent chapters focus on particular forms of cruelty. Young highlights the dangers of allowing children to torment animals, suggesting that such behaviour, if unchecked, can lead to callousness in adulthood. He then turns to the cruelty inherent in popular entertainment, such as bull-baiting, cockfighting, and hunting for sport, which he condemns for promoting insensitivity and vice. Similarly, he criticises practices like fishing and shooting for pleasure, arguing that they inflict unnecessary suffering and lack moral justification.
Young dedicates a chapter to the mistreatment of horses, which he describes as noble and indispensable animals often subjected to overwork, mutilation, and abuse. He calls for better treatment of horses, emphasising their loyalty and the significant role they play in human industry and transportation. He also addresses food-related cruelty, such as skinning animals alive or crimping fish, practices he deems both inhumane and unnecessary. Additionally, Young critiques the common practice of killing bees to harvest honey, suggesting alternative methods that allow humans to benefit from bees' labor without destroying their colonies.
The essay concludes with a discussion of miscellaneous cruelties, including the mistreatment of dogs, which Young highlights as one of the most loyal and intelligent of animals. Through anecdotes and observations, he illustrates the profound attachment animals can have to humans and the moral failings of those who repay such loyalty with neglect or abuse.
Reception
A reviewer for the The Monthly Review commended An Essay on Humanity to Animals for its eloquence and moral advocacy, highlighting poignant stories like a polar bear's sacrifices to save her cubs. It praised the work's ability to inspire compassion and promote humane treatment of animals, considering it a significant contribution to the cause of animal welfare.[1]
The Monthly Mirror praised the book for its compelling arguments against animal cruelty, recommending it to those involved in activities like horse racing and cockfighting. The review highlighted its engaging style, zoological examples, and emphasis on animals' capacity for suffering.[2]
The British Critic praised the work's benevolence and moral arguments, though noted occasional over-refinement. It recommended the work for those overseeing children's education due to its potential positive influence. The review supported its criticism of practices like bird-netting, hunting, and cockfighting, and praised its introductory Ode to Humanity as elegant and fitting.[3]
According to animal rights historian Rod Preece, John Styles's essay, The Animal Creation: Its Claims on Our Humanity Stated and Enforced, appears to have borrowed extensively from Young's earlier writings, potentially amounting to plagiarism.[7] In "The Status of Animals in Biblical and Christian Thought", Preece compared Young to contemporary church animal welfare proponents Richard Dean and Humphrey Primatt.[8]
In 2013, the American Philosophical Society Library featured Young's work in a web exhibit showcasing historical texts on animal studies, ranging from natural history to modern animal rights.[9]
Benjamin Curtis describes An Essay on Humanity to Animals as the first known work to provide detailed accounts of the cruelty inflicted on animals by humans, distinguishing it as a significant milestone in the development of animal rights literature.[10]
In 2001, Rod Preece released an edited volume through Edwin Mellen Press, which included an introduction, annotations, and a foreword contributed by David Fraser.[13]
