How does Veganism help Animals?
I. What Veganism means
Initially, the word Vegan was defined as a diet free of animal exploitation. In contrast to what many people might believe, veganism is on the rise, but it is not a religion. A vegan lifestyle exists in many ways. Yet all vegans have one thing in common: a diet based on plants combined to avoid:
- Eating any flesh (meat and fish)
- Consuming ingredients that come from animals exploitation (milk, honey, eggs...)
- Purchasing any item that requires animal suffering (fur, wool, silk, leather, tested on animal products)
- Going to places that use animals for entertainment
II. When Veganism started
Although the vegan diet was defined at the start of the Vegan Society in 1944, it was not until 1949 when Leslie J Cross pointed out that there was no definition of veganism in society. He proposed the "principle of animal emancipation from human exploitation." Which is clarified as "the aim of seeking an end to man's use of animals for food, work, hunting, vivisection and all other uses of human life.
Veganism Throughout History
There is much evidence that people have chosen not to support animal products since 2000 years ago. 500 BCE, the Greek philosopher Plato and the Pythagoras mathematician promoted benevolence among all species and followed what was described as a vegetarian diet. In the same period, Buddha spoke to his disciples about this kind of diet as well.Moving forward to 1806 in our era and the earliest concepts of veganism, when it started to take shape with Dr. William Lambe and Percy Bysshe Shelley amongst the first Europeans to publicly object to eggs and dairy on ethical grounds.
III. Why Veganism is Good for animals
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. -Gandhi, Indian spiritual leader