Evans, E. P. 1831-1917

Edward Payson Evans (December 8, 1831 – March 6, 1917) was an American scholar, linguist, and educator. His work combined philology, literary history, and moral philosophy. Educated at the University of Michigan, he taught modern languages in the United States before continuing his studies at universities in Germany, where he spent much of his career. Evans wrote on subjects including German literature, comparative linguistics, and the ethical status of animals. His best-known book, The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals (1906), examined historical records of animal trials in Europe. Earlier, in Evolutional Ethics and Animal Psychology (1897), he explored the implications of evolutionary theory for moral philosophy and animal consciousness. His writings have since been discussed in relation to the development of animal ethics and studies of human–animal relationships.