Arthur Schopenhauer"Because Christian morality leaves animals out of account, they are at
once outlawed in philosophical morals; they are mere 'things,' mere means
to any ends whatsoever. They can therefore be used for vivisection,
hunting, coursing, bullfights, and horse racing, and can be whipped to
death as they struggle along with heavy carts of stone. Shame on such a
morality that is worthy of pariahs, and that fails to recognize the
eternal essence that exists in every living thing, and shines forth with
inscrutable significance from all eyes that see the sun!"
~On the Basis of Morality
"Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man."
"All truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self evident."
“Unlike the intellect, it [the Will] does not depend on the perfection
of the organism, but is essentially the same in all animals as that which
is known to us so intimately. Accordingly, the animal has all the emotions
of humans, such as joy, grief, fear, anger, love, hatred, strong desire,
envy, and so on. The great difference between human and animal rests
solely on the intellect's degrees of perfection.”
– On the Will in Nature, “Physiology and Pathology.”
“I know of no more beautiful prayer than that which the Hindus of old used in closing their public spectacles. It was: ‘May all that have life be delivered from suffering.’ ”
“Compassion is the basis of all morality.”
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