Lewis Gompertz | |
|---|---|
 Portrait fromFragments in Defence of Animals (1852) | |
| Born | 1783/4 London, England |
| Died | (1861-12-02)2 December 1861 (aged 77) Kennington, London, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | c. 1814–1852 |
| Known for | Activism for themoral consideration of animals andveganism |
| Notable work | Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes (1824) |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives |
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| Family | Gompertz family |
Lewis Gompertz (1783/4 – 2 December 1861) was an English philosopher, writer, inventor, and social reformer. He was best known for his pioneering advocacy of themoral consideration of animals, earlyveganism, and opposition toanimal exploitation. A founding member of theSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (later theRSPCA), he later established theAnimals' Friend Society to promote a more comprehensive ethical stance toward animals. His 1824 treatise,Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes, offered one of the first systematic critiques of animal use, combining philosophical argument with proposals for social reform. He also supported causes includingwomen's rights,anti-slavery, and the welfare of the poor. In addition to his activism, Gompertz was an accomplished mechanical inventor who sought to develop alternatives to animal labour.
Lewis Gompertz was born into a large and affluent Jewish family of diamond merchants inLondon.[1] He was the youngest of fifteen children of Solomon Barent Gompertz (1729–c. 1807), a merchant based inWalthamstow andVauxhall, and the fifth son from his second marriage to Leah Cohen (c. 1747–1809).[2] He was the younger brother of the mathematician and actuaryBenjamin Gompertz, and the poetIsaac Gompertz.[3]
Due to their Jewish faith, Gompertz and his siblings were barred from attending university, and instead received an informal education that emphasised critical thinking and problem-solving.[1] The family, descended from theAshkenazi Gomperz line ofEmmerich near theGermany–Netherlands border, was active in theHambro Synagogue inHoxton, East London.[2]
Gompertz married Ann Hollaman atSt Leonard's, Shoreditch on 12 December 1809.[4]
Gompertz devoted his life to opposinganimal suffering, arguing that it was morally indefensible to kill animals or use them in ways that did not directly benefit them. A committedvegan, he abstained from allanimal products, including milk and eggs, and refused to ride in coaches due to the exploitation of horses.[2] He also avoided wearing leather and silk, and opposedhunting andanimal experimentation.[5]
His philosophical views were set out in his 1824 treatise,Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes, which combined dialogues, moral axioms, and practical suggestions for improving the condition of animals. In addition to animal protection, the book criticisedcapitalism, condemned theoppression of women, and expressed support forOwenite cooperation and social reform.[2]
[C]ruelty is cruelty under whatever colouring it may appear; and whether exercised on a man or on a fly, cruelty is still cruelty. It matters not whether the victim be furnished with two legs or with four, with wings, with fins, or with arms; where there is sensation, there is subject for cruelty, and in proportion to the degree of sensation will its action operate.
— Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes, pp. 149–150
In 1852, he published a second volume,Fragments in Defence of Animals, and Essays on Morals, Soul, and Future State, which compiled a selection of his later writings and further developed the arguments first presented inMoral Inquiries nearly thirty years earlier.[6]
Gompertz was a founding member of theSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), later known as the RSPCA, and attended its inaugural meeting in 1824.[1] Despite the society's early financial difficulties, he took on several key roles, serving as honorary secretary from 1828, acting asde facto treasurer, and frequently contributing personal funds. In recognition of his service, the SPCA awarded him a silver medal in 1832.[2]
His tenure became contentious due to internal disputes, particularly with the rival Association for the Promotion of Rational Humanity to the Animal Creation. Accusations that Gompertz espousedPythagoreanism and anti-Christian views contributed to tensions within the organisation. In 1833, after the SPCA amended its constitution to adopt explicitly Christian principles, Gompertz resigned, as the change effectively excluded him on religious grounds.[2]
Following his departure, Gompertz co-founded theAnimals' Friend Society withT. Forster, which he managed alongside his wife Ann until 1846. The society attracted support fromevangelicals andQuakers, and for a time surpassed the SPCA in activity and influence. Gompertz edited its journal,Animals' Friend, or, The Progress of Humanity, between 1833 and 1841. He withdrew from public work in 1846 due to ill health, and his wife's death in 1847 further affected him. Although the society's committee continued to meet until 1848, the organisation gradually declined.[2]
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Gompertz possessed a notable aptitude formechanical engineering.[2] His inventions, though sometimes impractical, were made with a focus on reducing animal suffering.[7]: 14–15 They were displayed at his home and later at theAdelaide Gallery. He filed only one patent (for carriages, no. 3804 of 1814) but published a comprehensiveIndex to 38 Inventions around 1839. His notable designs included an expanding chuck, alternatives togear wheels, and a modifiedvelocipede intended to avoid the use of animals for transport. His work was featured in periodicals such as theMechanics Journal andAnimals' Friend, and culminated in his compendiumMechanical Inventions and Suggestions on Land and Water Locomotion (1851). The book went through at least two editions. In the preface, Gompertz wrote that many of the devices had been publicly exhibited, and stated that he had been awarded a medal byPrince Albert for some of them.[1]
Gompertz died ofbronchitis on 2 December 1861, aged 77, at his home inKennington, London. He was buried alongside his wife in the churchyard of Kennington Church.[2]
In 1992,Centaur Press issued a new edition ofMoral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes, edited by philosopherPeter Singer, who also contributed the foreword. In it, Singer expressed his surprise at discovering Gompertz's work and noted the striking similarity between Gompertz's ethical arguments and those later advanced by theanimal liberation movement.[7]: 11 A second edition was published in 1997 byEdwin Mellen Press, edited byCharles R. Magel.[8]
In 2023, Barry Kew publishedLewis Gompertz: Philosopher, Activist, Philanthropist, Inventor, the first full-length biography of Gompertz. The book explores his advocacy not only for animals but also for women, apprentices, prisoners, enslaved people, and the poor. It situatesMoral Inquiries within a broader project to formulate and practise a rational, egalitarian moral philosophy in opposition to prevailing religious and social norms. Kew discusses the sectarianism and racism Gompertz encountered and argues that such hostility contributed to his historical marginalisation despite the scope of his reformist work.[9]
In 2024, to mark the 200th anniversary of its publication,Moral Inquiries was republished as a free digital edition by the organisationAnimal Ethics. The group described Gompertz as an early pioneer ofanimal ethics and credited him with producing the most significant work on the subject prior to the late twentieth century. They highlighted his early support for principles now associated withveganism,antispeciesism, and concern forwild animal suffering, noting the continued relevance of many of his arguments to contemporary ethical debates.[6]
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