Famous John Locke Quote

This tendency [to cruelty] should be watched in them [children], and if they incline to any such cruelty, they should be taught the contrary usage.  For the custom of tormenting and killing other animals will, by degrees, harden their hearts even towards men....  And they, who delight in the suffering and destruction of inferior creatures, will not be apt to be very compassionate or benign to those of their own kind.  Children should from the beginning be brought up in an abhorrence of killing or tormenting living beings....  And indeed, I think people from their cradles should be tender to all sensible creatures....  All the entertainment and talk of History is of nothing but fighting and killing; and the honour and renown that is bestowed on conquerors, who, for the most part, are but the great butchers of mankind, further mislead youth.

By John Locke

COMMENTS

You must be a Quotesoup.com member to leave a comment