When a human being kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for justice.
Isaac Bashevis SingerRead
People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been done since the earliest of times.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Tradition should not be an excuse for unethical practices.
Isaac Bashevis Singer's quote critiques the use of historical practices as a justification for continuing potentially harmful behaviors. It emphasizes that just because something has been done in the past does not mean it is morally acceptable to persist with it, using the analogy of human violence to highlight the flawed logic behind such reasoning.
Themes
TraditionEthicsMoralityCritiqueViolence
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on animal rights, this quote can be used to illustrate that tradition shouldn't dictate our ethics.
More from Isaac Bashevis Singer
All quotes →There will be no justice as long as man will stand with a knife or with a gun and destroy those who are weaker than he is.
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Our knowledge is a little island in a great ocean of nonknowledge.
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As long as people will shed the blood of innocent creatures there can be no peace, no liberty, no harmony between people. Slaughter and justice cannot dwell together.
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Sometimes love is stronger than a man's convictions.
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I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens.
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