Veganism and Vegetarianism

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    Vegetarianism is commonly defined as the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat and other animal flesh, sometimes including by-products of animal slaughter. A related practice known as veganism takes this a bit further: it is based around abstinence from the use and/or consumption of animal-derived substances (e.g. eggs, honey and dairy products), often for reasons that are as much philosophical as they are dietary. The two terms are somewhat interchangeable, due to the practices' relationship - while not all vegetarians are necessarily vegan, veganism (particularly the dietary kind) is generally considered a form of "strict vegetarianism". Ethical vegans (or "moral vegetarians") take this a step further still, opposing the use of animals for any purpose, such as clothing; this is sometimes referred to as "environmental veganism", especially in relation to the idea that industrial animal farming is unsustainable and hazardous to the environment.

    The concept itself is quite old, with the earliest records of vegetarianism coming from India and dated to the 7th century BCE; some sources trace evidence of the practice back even further to the Indus Valley Civilization (3300–1300 BCE). In these regions, the diet has been closely connected to the philosophy of nonviolence towards animals (called ahimsa), as well as other towards other living beings: Jainist spiritual teachers Parshwanatha and Mahavira respectively revived and advocated ahimsa and Jain vegetarianism, the most comprehensive and strictest form of vegetarianism known, from the 8th to 6th century BCE.

    Meanwhile in what we call the Western world, small groups within ancient Greek civilizations in southern Italy and Greece would adopt dietary habits similar to vegetarianism, with a very similar reverence for animal life and that of other human beings. Notable examples within this scope include Greek philosophers such as Empedocles, Theophrastus, Plutarch, Plotinus, and Porphyry, as well as Roman poet Ovid and playwright Seneca the Younger. Additionally, Eudoxus of Cnidus writes of Pythagoras that he "was distinguished by such purity and so avoided killing and killers that he not only abstained from animal foods, but even kept his distance from cooks and hunters"; while the life of Pythagoras is obscure such that the veracity of this is disputed, there is information supporting the idea that he at least prohibited his followers from eating beans and wearing woolen garments.

    The term "vegetarian" itself originated around the 19th century, with the earliest known written use attributed to Fanny Kemble's Journal of a Residence on a Georgian plantation in 1838–1839. 19th-century Britain and the United States saw the establishment of during which vegetarianism established itself as a significant movement in : In 1813, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley published A Vindication of Natural Diet, advocating "abstinence from animal food and spirituous liquors"; in 1815, London physician William Lambe stated that his "water and vegetable diet" could cure anything from tuberculosis to acne; and during the 1830s, the meatless Graham diet—mostly fruit, vegetables, water, and bread made at home with stoneground flour—became popular as a health remedy. Vegan and vegetarian communities such as the Temple School of Massachusetts (founded in 1834 by the father of Louisa May Alcott), the Concordium on Ham Common and the Vegetarian Society in Manchester also came to be around this time.

    Donald Watson would coin the term "vegan" in 1944 when he co-founded the Vegan Society in the UK, where he initially used it to mean "non-dairy vegetarian"; by May 1945, this would evolve into its commonly understood meaning, and in 1951 it was used to describe "the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals". How feasible a vegetarian or vegan diet, or even lifestyle, is for any given individual very much depends on their living situation and circumstances - while there is no doubt as to the presence of exploitation in the food industry, that exploitation can take many forms beyond just the abuse of animals.

    In terms of fiction, veganism and vegetarianism are subject to portrayals of varying accuracy that includes the following tropes:

    Examples of Veganism and Vegetarianism include:

    Advertising

    • Pick a PETA commercial. Any PETA commercial. Opinion is divided as to whether these are shock videos, ham-fisted attempts at promoting the vegan lifestyle, or propaganda either for or against their stated aims.

    Anime and Manga

    Comic Books

    • Scott Pilgrim has Todd, the third of Ramona's ex-boyfriends, as an enemy. Todd gains "psychic powers" from his vegan diet.

    Film

    Literature

    Live-Action TV

    Video Games

    • NetHack tracks conducts for both vegan and vegetarian diets. The Monk role in particular is expected to maintain at least a vegetarian diet, with small alignment penalties occurring each time they consume meat.

    Western Animation

    • At the request of his original voice actor Casey Kasem, Shaggy from Scooby-Doo was eventually revealed to be a vegetarian.
    • Lisa Simpson became a vegetarian during The Simpsons season 7 episode "Lisa the Vegetarian" (the one with Paul McCartney as a guest-star), and the same episode showed that Apu had always been vegetarian. Unlike most changes on The Simpsons, this one to Lisa's diet stuck.
    • The Goode Family are "politically correct in every way", including being vegetarians.