Benjamin Franklin: Inventor, Writer, Entrepreneur…Animal Rights Activist?
As I was doing some reading for one of my English classes the other day, I stumbled upon this curious passage from Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography:
“When about 16 Years of Age, I happen’d to meet with a book written by one Tryon, recommending a Vegetable Diet. I determined to go into it…My refusing to eat Flesh occasioned an Inconveniency, and I was frequently chid for my singularity. I made myself acquainted with Tryon’s Manner of preparing some of his Dishes, such as Boiling Potatoes or Rice, making Hasty Pudding, and a few others…”
Who knew he was a vegetarian?
Within the selections from the autobiography that were required reading, Franklin never explicitly stated why he adopted the so-called Vegetable Diet, but from the context of this particular passage it seems that he was trying to save money in order to buy more books. Regardless of his reasoning, I was pretty excited when I read this because I often feel as though vegetarianism (or any other alternative diet, for that matter) carries this stigma of being part of some new age, hippy mentality. I’m not sure who Tryon is, but clearly the Vegetable Diet has a much longer tradition than people realize.
One of my favorite anecdote’s in Franklin’s work, however, was the episode in which he reasons himself into becoming a pescetarian, mostly because I sympathized with his internal struggle.
“I believe I have omitted mentioning that in my first Voyage from Boston, being becalm’d off Block Island, our People set about catching Cod and haul’d up a great many. Hitherto I had stuck to my Resolution of not eating animal Food; and on this Occasion, I consider’d with my Master Tryon, the taking every Fish as a kind of unprovok’d Murder, since none of them had or ever could do us any Injury that might justify the Slaughter. All this seem’d very reasonable. But I had formerly been a great Lover of Fish, and when this came hot out of the Frying Pan, it smelt admirably well. I balanc’d some time between Principle and Inclination: till I recollected, that when the Fish were opened, I saw smaller Fish taken out of their Stomachs: Then, thought I, if you eat one another, I don’t see why we mayn’t eat you. So I din’d upon Cod very heartily and continu’d to eat with other People, returning only now and then occasionally to a vegetable Diet. So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do.”
Poor Ben. Can’t say I blame him; fish are pretty tasty after all.
Also, if you don’t like cilantro, it’s not your fault.
