| Richard Dean | |
| Birth Date: | 1727 |
| Birth Place: | Kirkby Malham |
| Death Date: | 8 February 1778 |
| Death Place: | Middleton |
| Occupation: | 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]