Richard Dean (curate)

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Richard Dean
Born1727
Kirkby Malham
Died8 February 1778
Middleton
Occupation(s)Minister, writer

Richard Dean (1727 – 8 February 1778) was an English Anglican minister and early animal rights writer.

Dean was born in Kirkby Malham, Yorkshire.[1] In addition to being an Anglican minister, Dean was schoolmaster of Middleton grammar school.[2] He was first curate of Royton Chapel and curate of Middleton.[2][1] He is best known for his two volume book, An Essay on the Future Life of Brutes, which argued for animal rights and a future existence (afterlife) for animals from the Bible.[2][3][4] Dean argued that animal immortality followed logically and morally from animal sentience. He believed that animals had a sentient principle or soul and that and a loving God would not have created animals subject to pain if he had not intended to compensate their suffering with a future existence.[5]

Dean argued against the Cartesian view that animals were mere machines.[1] He argued for animal intelligence and asserted that animals live and suffer as humans do. He believed that this implied that man has a moral responsibility to animals. During his time not many writers held this view; however, Dean did acknowledge the work of John Hildrop.[1]

He died in Middleton on 8 February 1778.[1]

Selected publications

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Grayling; A. C, Pyle, Andrew; Goulder, Naomi; Brown, Stuart C. (2007). The Continuum Encyclopedia of British Philosophy. Thoemmes Continuum. p. 802
  2. ^
    Smith, Elder & Co
    . p. 250
  3. ISBN 1-85506-826-5
  4. ISBN 0-521-82941-0
  5. ISBN 978-90-420-3747-2
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