The Evolution Of Veganism: A Historical Dietary Perspective

The vegan diet has grown in popularity in recent years, but its roots can be traced back to ancient societies. Evidence of people choosing to avoid animal products can be traced back over 2,000 years to 500 BCE, when Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed a vegetarian diet. Around the same time, Siddhārtha Gautama, better known as the Buddha, was discussing vegetarian diets with his followers. Followers of Hinduism and Jainism also advocated vegetarianism, promoting the belief that humans should not inflict pain on other animals.

The term veganism wasn't used until the 1940s when it was coined by British woodworker Donald Watson, who founded The Vegan Society. However, the concept of a vegan diet can be traced back to the 1800s and Dr William Lambe, who adopted an exclusively plant-based diet for health reasons.

The Vegan Society was founded in 1944 by Donald Watson

The concept of veganism, or a plant-based diet, is not new and can be traced back to ancient societies in India and the eastern Mediterranean. As early as 500 BCE, Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed what could be described as a vegetarian diet.

In the 19th century, vegetarianism became a significant movement in Britain and the United States. The first vegan in modern times was Dr William Lambe, who, in 1806, adopted an exclusively plant-based diet for health reasons. He rejected not only meat but also eggs, milk, cheese, and fish, making him one of the first "vegans" in the modern sense of the term.

The term "vegan" was coined by British woodworker Donald Watson in 1944. In November of that year, Watson called a meeting with five other non-dairy vegetarians, including Elsie Shrigley, to discuss non-dairy vegetarian diets and lifestyles. They felt that a new word was needed to describe their way of eating and living, something more concise than "non-dairy vegetarians". Suggestions included "dairyban", "vitan", and "benevore". They eventually settled on "vegan", formed from the first three and last two letters of "vegetarian", marking, in Watson's words, "the beginning and end of vegetarian".

The Vegan Society was founded following this meeting, in November 1944, and Watson's newsletter, "The Vegan News", attracted more than 100 letters, including from George Bernard Shaw, who resolved to give up eggs and dairy. The society held its first meeting in early November 1944 at the Attic Club in London, with Donald Watson, Elsie B. Shrigley, Fay K. Henderson, Alfred Hy Haffenden, Paul Spencer, and Bernard Drake in attendance.

The society soon clarified that veganism rejected the use of animals not only in diet but for any purpose, including clothing and toiletries. In 1947, Watson wrote:

> The vegan renounces it as superstitious that human life depends upon the exploitation of these creatures whose feelings are much the same as our own.

The definition of veganism has been refined over the years. Since 1988, The Vegan Society has defined it as:

> A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

The term 'vegan' was coined by Donald Watson and Dorothy Morgan

The term 'vegan' was coined by British woodworker Donald Watson and schoolteacher Dorothy Morgan (who later married) in 1944. The word is based on the first three and last two letters of 'vegetarian' because it marked, in Watson's words, "the beginning and end of vegetarian".

The couple, along with five other non-dairy vegetarians, founded The Vegan Society and held their first meeting in November 1944. They considered several names for their movement, including 'dairyban', 'vitan', and 'benevore', before settling on 'vegan'. The word was chosen to differentiate the movement from vegetarianism, which rejects the consumption of meat but accepts other animal products such as milk, dairy, and eggs.

The earliest concepts of veganism can be traced back to ancient Indian and west Asian cultures. As early as 500 BCE, Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed what could be described as a vegetarian diet. Around the same time, Siddhārtha Gautama (better known as the Buddha) also discussed vegetarian diets with his followers.

The concept of veganism also has roots in ancient Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, which promoted the belief that humans should not inflict pain on other animals. In addition, the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, who lived around 1300 BCE, banned animal sacrifice as he believed it was a sin to take any life.

In the 19th century, vegetarianism became a significant movement in Britain and the United States, with a small minority of vegetarians avoiding animal food entirely. One of the earliest Europeans to publicly object to eggs and dairy on ethical grounds was Dr. William Lambe in 1806.

Ancient Indian and West Asian cultures influenced veganism

The roots of veganism can be traced back to ancient Indian and West Asian cultures. One of the earliest followers of a vegan diet was the Arab philosopher and poet Al-Ma'arri, who abstained from animal products for health reasons and due to his beliefs about the transmigration of souls and animal welfare. However, the most influential ancient examples of veganism came from India, which gave birth to Buddhism and Jainism. These religions went on to influence vegan diets in the rest of Asia and Europe.

Jainism, an Indian faith that originated in north India between the 5th and 7th centuries BCE, is considered the closest ancient equivalent to modern-day veganism. Jains follow the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, which applies not only to human beings but also to animals, insects, and sometimes plants. Jains believe that hurting or harming any living being is an act of violence, and they try to limit unkind thoughts or verbal expressions of ill-will as they believe that "everything has consequences of karma". As a result, Jains follow a strict vegetarian diet, avoiding meat, seafood, eggs, and plants that grow under the soil, such as onions, potatoes, and garlic.

Buddhism, which also originated in ancient India, has a similar focus on non-violence toward animals. While there is some debate about whether the Buddha and his early followers were strict vegetarians, Buddhist sources indicate that the principle of non-violence toward animals was established by the 6th century BCE. The Buddhist emperor Ashoka, who ruled from 304-232 BCE, was a vegetarian and a determined promoter of non-violence toward animals. He promulgated detailed laws aimed at protecting many species, abolished animal sacrifice, and admonished the population to avoid all kinds of unnecessary killing and injury.

In addition to Buddhism and Jainism, other religious and philosophical traditions in ancient India also promoted vegetarian or vegan diets. For example, the Vedas, the oldest and most sacred texts of Hinduism, assert that all creatures manifest the same life force and therefore merit equal care and compassion. Brahmins, the priests of the highest caste, often adhered to vegetarian diets guided by the Sattva philosophy.

The influence of these ancient Indian and West Asian cultures on veganism extended beyond the region, as well. For example, the spread of Buddhism to China led to the development of vegetarian cuisine there, with records showing that monks were consuming "vegetarian meat" made from tofu as early as the 10th century. Additionally, the concept of ahimsa, or non-violence, is also found in other Eastern religions such as Confucianism and Taoism, which encourage their adherents to refrain from eating animal flesh and increasingly, to abstain from all animal-sourced foods and products.

The first vegans were motivated by ethics and religion

The concept of veganism can be traced back to ancient societies in India and the eastern Mediterranean. As early as 500 BCE, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species and followed a vegetarian diet. At the same time, Siddhārtha Gautama, better known as the Buddha, was also discussing vegetarianism with his followers. Followers of Hinduism and Jainism also advocated for vegetarianism, promoting the belief that humans should not inflict pain on other animals.

In the 1800s, Dr. William Lambe adopted an exclusively plant-based diet for health reasons. At the time, it was common for people following a "vegetable diet" to consume dairy products, but Dr. Lambe rejected these, making him one of the first "vegans" in the modern sense. Dr. Lambe wrote about the health impacts of his own vegan diet, as well as that of others in several case studies.

In 1847, the first vegetarian society was started in England, and in 1908, the first international vegetarian society was founded. In the 1940s, the term "vegan" was coined by British woodworker Donald Watson and his wife Dorothy. They held a meeting with five other non-dairy vegetarians to discuss their diets and lifestyles. These seven people are considered the founders of a new movement.

> "My reason for objecting to every species of matter to be used as food, except the direct produce of the earth – as maybe seen in my last publication – is founded on the broad ground that no other matter is suited to the organs of man. This applies then with the same force to eggs, milk, cheese, and fish, as to flesh meat."

Pythagoras was an influential vegetarian who objected to the mistreatment of animals. The Roman poet Ovid depicted Pythagoras as saying:

> "Alas, what wickedness to swallow flesh into our own flesh, to fatten our greedy bodies by cramming in other bodies, to have one living creature fed by the death of another!"

The Greek Orthodox faith still calls on its followers to adopt a vegan diet during the Lenten fasting period.

In ancient India, Parshvanatha, also known as Parsva, a Jain who lived around 800 BCE, taught ahimsa, or non-violence, and was renowned for rescuing a serpent trapped in a burning log.

In Japan, Emperor Tenmu banned the consumption of meat from cows, horses, dogs, chickens, and monkeys, leading to a ban on eating meat that lasted 12 centuries.

Veganism, as a social justice movement, was kicked off by these early pioneers who were motivated by ethics and religion.

Veganism is linked to social justice

Veganism is a social justice movement with ancient roots. The concept of veganism can be traced back to ancient Indian and eastern Mediterranean societies. The earliest followers of a vegan diet include the Arab philosopher and poet Al-Ma'arri, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, and Siddhārtha Gautama (better known as the Buddha).

Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. It promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment.

Veganism is a powerful social justice movement with a long history. It seeks to end the exploitation of animals, protect the environment, and promote social equality.

Frequently asked questions