Między etyką a dietetyką. Głosy polskich zwolenników wegetarianizmu pod koniec XIX i na początku XX stulecia

Abstract

The article explores the Polish vegetarian movement, which emerged in the 1880s and subsequently developed in a non-uniform manner, oscillating between dietary and ethical positions. The voices of Polish vegetarians and commentators on the movement formed an engaging intellectual debate. These discussions addressed issues of healthy nutrition as well as the moral implications of a plant-based diet. Key figures in the debate included Konstanty Moes-Oskragiełło, Józef Drzewiecki, Janisław Jastrzębowski, Rajmund Jankowski, Bolesław Prus, and Aleksander Świętochowski. Advocates of vegetarianism employed a variety of arguments. Initially, they recommended a plant-based diet primarily for its health benefits. Over time, however, they increasingly acknowledged the fate of animals and began to empathize with their suffering. In the Polish vegetarian discourse at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a gradual shift took place – marked by the weakening of the dominant paradigm of anthropocentric culture.