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Originally Posted by Courtersy of China study (Dr campbell) I found out that scholars have been arguing over the nature of health for centuries, even millenia. Almost 2500 years ago, plato wrote a dialogue between two characters, socrates and Galucon , in which they discuss the future of their cities. Socrates says the cities should be simple, and the citizens should subsist on barley and wheat, with relishes of salt , olives, cheese and " country fare of boiled onions and cabbage", with desserts of figs, pease , bean" roasted myrtle berries and beechnuts, and wine in moderation . Socrates says and thus passing their days in tranquility and sound health, they will in all probability live to an advanced age ..."
But Glaucon replies that such a diet would only be appropriate for a "community of swine", and that the citizens should live "in a civilied manner". He continues , " they ought to recline on couches.... and have the usual dishes and dessert of the a modern dinner." in other worlds, the citizens should have the luxury of eating meat .Socrates replies," if you wish us also to comtemplate a city that is sufferring from inflamation.... we shall also neeed great quantities of all kinds of cattle for those who may wish to eat them , shall we not?"
Galucon says, " of course we shall ." Socrates then says," then shall we not experience the need of medical men also to a much greater extent under this than under the former regime?" Gaucon cant deny it . "Yes, Indeed" he says. Socates goes on to say that this luxurious city will be short of land because of the extra acreage required to raise animal for foods. THis shortage will lead the citizens to take land from others, which could precipitate violence and war, thus a need for justice.
Furthermore, Socrates writes , " when dissoluteness and diseases abound . not Law and physic begin to hold their heads high, when numbers even of well born persons devote themselves with eagerness to these profession ?" in other words, in this luxurious city of sickness and disease, lawyers and doctors will become the norm .
Plato , in this passage, made it perfectly clear : We shall eat animals only at our own peril . though it is indeed remarkable that one of the greatest intellectuals in the history of western world condemned meat eating almost 2500 years ago. I fint it even more remarkable that few know about this history. Hardly anybody knows , for example, that the father of western
medicine., Hipprocrates, advocated diet as the chief way to prevent and treat disease or that the man instrumental in founding the American Cancer society , Federick L Hoffman , knew that diet was the way to prevent and treat disease . .. ..
How did Seneca, one of the great Scholars 2000 Years ago, a tutor and advisor to Roman Emperor Nero , Know with such certainty the trouble with consuming animals when he wrote .
An ox is satisfied with the pasture of an acre or two : one wood suffices for several elephant. Man alone supports himself by the pillage of the whole earth and sea. What! Has nature indeed given us so insatiable a stomach, while she has given us so insignificant bodies? ... The slaves of the belly ( as says sallust) are to be counted in the number of the lower animals, not of men . Nay, not of them , but rather the dead .... You might inscribe on their doors " these have anticipated death" |