Life (1871)

AUTHOR: Fowler, Orson Squire

This volume explains many of the principles and practices of phrenology. In doing so, Fowler also touches on the importance of nutrition and diet, discussing the benefits and disadvantages of different kinds of food. Contrary to earlier publications, Fowler, while meticulously describing both the health-related and moral benefits of a vegan diet, no longer promotes it. He now advocates for a mixed regime.

The book was originally planned as one of six volumes in a comprehensive account of the theory, practice, and vocabulary of phrenology. Fowler abandoned this plan, amalgamating the contents of most of these projected volumes in his Human Science, or Phrenology, published only two years after Life (in the Preface to the former, he says he did so because there were too many interrelations and cross-references so that he felt it made no sense to separate the content into different volumes). The original plan was reduced to two volumes, the extant book being a treatise entitled Sexual Science (1870).

The contents of this volume thus correlate in large parts with that of Human Science, or Phrenology, including the respective sections on “Food” that contain most of the discussion of veganism and are basically identical (121-192 in this volume). Fowler treats questions about the kind of food that is best suited for humans, its proper preparation, how much to eat, how to eat properly in the first place, and its relations to both disease and morals; he emphasizes the detrimental effects of alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco, and other stimulants (e.g. condiments) and generally warns of eating too much. He thinks that much of human physiology and anatomy favors a vegan diet and he rehearses the sustainability argument in favor of veganism, because nature can sustain many more creatures on a purely plant-based rather than a predominantly meat-based diet. He also describes veganism as more economical, as meat tends to be more expensive. Finally, he argues that meat is morally dangerous, as it incites and inflames animal passions and thus ultimately fosters violence.

In the end, however, Fowler promotes a mixed diet. Instead of advocating for veganism, he simply recommends moderation. He also recommends fish. This is a notable deviation from his earlier writings, which unanimously and unambiguously promoted veganism.