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Thomas Edison, inventor: “Until we stop harming all living beings, humans will remain savages”

The creator of the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the quadruplex telegraph, among many other inventions, was also one of the earliest known vegetarians.

Daniel Pérez G.Greg Heilman

Update: Jan 24th, 2026 12:01 EST

Thomas Alva Edison is possibly one of the most famous inventors in human history. Over the course of his life, he registered nearly 1,100 patents in the United States across a wide range of fields.

His only true scientific discovery was thermionic emission, which became a key foundation for the birth of modern electronics. Beyond that, he invented devices such as the phonograph, the kinetoscope, the first electric power station, and alkaline batteries, among many others.

Exploring his life and work is a fascinating challenge for the curious. One of the most striking details of his personal life is that, following a serious mastoid infection, he was required to stop eating meat as part of his treatment. After experiencing a significant improvement in his health, he adopted a vegetarian diet.

As the years passed and he entered the final stage of his life, records show that he went even further, limiting his diet to milk, apple pie, and a few other foods. During this time, he became an advocate for animals.

His philosophy can be summed up in the following statement: “Nonviolence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all living beings, humans will remain savages.”

It is ironic that this quote represents Edison’s philosophy, considering that he once attempted to prove that alternating current was more dangerous than direct current by publicly electrocuting dogs, cats, and even an elephant. Fortunately, over time, his views evolved as he came to understand the role animals play in everyday life.

The aphorism cited above shows that Edison, after a life filled with experimentation and immense ambition, ultimately concluded that humanity’s greatest invention would be a universal ethic of compassion. Through it, humans would come to understand that true intelligence lies in the ability to coexist without causing harm.