History and the Current Debate on Fox Hunting Literature review

History and the Current Debate on Fox Hunting - Literature review Example The view that man is superior to animal was also pointed out by Aristotle who thought that only humans were â€Å"capable of rational deliberation† (Trevelyan 1922). Hunting is one of the characteristics that mankind holds ever since its existence. It can be traced back to the days of the nomads whose only means of survival was through hunting. But with time, the verb has gone through a drastic change from a means of survival to a sport and thus a necessity has been replaced by entertainment. The Homo erectus hunted for living whereas the man of today hunts because hunting is a hobby and a means of amusement. It is an out-door sport with the intention to exhibit one’s skills or a perfect answer to one’s boredom. But for Paget, hunting is not a sport played at leisure but a dangerous pursuit of an animal in the places where they actually exist freely and reproduce. He says that a shot is solely registered for a hunt and if a man actually deviates from this reason, he is not a hunter and not a part of the sport of hunting (Paget 1900). Hunting is divided into various groups and fox hunting has been placed above all the other forms and has been marked to be the best sports by a group of people. It was and still continues to be the favourite sport of the Britons. Fox hunting is a blood sport as the animal world calls it and is a subject of much controversy as it is the shooting of animals for the purpose of enjoyment (Gast 2006). In Britain, the history of fox hunting holds a large volume and can be traced back to the 17th century when it was at its highest peak. It was the greatest sport until 1914 which was the year when the World War One started and it marked the end of the golden age. It was now surrounded by controversies and a full fledge debate up rooted between the masses whether it should be made legal or not and thus it was a turning point in the history of Britain (Wallen 2006). The history of Fox hunting can be traced back to 1534, when farmers in Norfolk, England started hunting down foxes with the assistance of their hounds. They were trained to follow the fox’s scent and only a hound could kill it while the hunter watched because its meat was not considered edible. The fox hunters were not much attracted to the idea of killing the fox with their own hands. They rather watched the hound do the honors while they sat on their horses and enjoyed the view. The fox was not meant for eating but was a pest that threatened farmers’ livestock and crops (Gradiner 2006). Thomas Fownes was the first man with a pack specifically for fox hunting. He sold it to a breeder in Yorkshire who further spread the transaction and by the middle of the century, several packs were seen that were exclusively kept for chasing down the foxes (Paget 1900). During the eighteenth century, fox hunting had replaced stag hunting and had spread out till Pytchley under the Lordship of Althrop (Trevelyan 1922). It had become the fa vourite sport of the riches who took it as a means of showing their wealth and valour. It was the sport of the higher class that existed in the society. There was a gradual division of class and culture and the upper class now aimed to live a much lavish life. They now, owned colossal estates and houses and enjoyed hunting because they were rich enough to buy and maintain horses and hounds (Gast 2006). The year 1753, is considered to be mark as an important era of fox