The 1746 Manifesto Against Eating Meat

Long before modern veganism, an architectural theorist named Robert Morris wrote a passionate 1746 treatise arguing that humans were naturally designed to be vegetarians.

While Robert Morris is primarily remembered for his influential books on building design, he stepped far outside his field to tackle moral philosophy. He challenged a contemporary pamphlet by asserting that consuming animals violated both natural law and religious duty. By arguing that a meatless diet was the original human standard, he brought early animal rights discourse into the mainstream. It remains a fascinating example of how even 18th-century thinkers were deeply engaged in ethical debates about our food.