Friday, April 12, 2013

[PHI 2200] Is it wrong to eat animals?

Loren Lomasky gave a talk at St. John's University, titled "Is It Wrong to Eat Animals?," the other day. In support of the claim that it is not morally wrong to eat meat, Lomasky put forth the following reasons:
  1. Meat tastes good.
  2. Most people like eating meat.
  3. Meat is a key ingredient in any cuisine.
  4. We don't really know whether animals feel pain or not.
  5. For animals that are bred and raised for slaughter, their existence is better than no existence.

Are these good reasons to think that eating animals is morally permissible? What do you think?
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2 comments:

  1. Jonathan WillifordApril 27, 2013 at 11:58 PM

    I don't find any of the reasons given as convincing, but I'm just going to address #5. From the treatment of animals in "animal factories," I really doubt that #5 is true in most cases, much less in all cases. If I had the choice of not living or living as an animal at one of these factories, I would much rather choose the former. But, even if it was true, this reason could be used to support slavery or genetically engineering a subhuman species.

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    1. UnknownApril 28, 2013 at 10:11 AM

      Thanks for your comment, Jonathan.

      I think you are making a good point. If (5) is true in virtue of a principle like “a miserable existence is better than no existence,” then it would justify mistreatment of people as well (which seems wrong).

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