Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras made the case against eating animals on grounds of their having souls like humans. Plato, in Book 2 of the “The Republic,” thought of meat as a luxury that would lead to an unsustainable society, filled with strife and inequality, requiring more land and wars to acquire it.
In 1789, Jeremy Bentham, father of the theory of utilitarianism, pointed to animal suffering as morally concerning and therefore implicated meat consumption:
“The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer? Why should the law refuse its protection to any sensitive being? … The time will come when humanity will extend its mantle over everything which breathes … ”
Modern-day utilitarian Peter Singer thus asks whether we are justified in considering our pleasure and pain as more important than that of animals. In being willing to subject animals to the suffering of industrial farming for meat production, he questions whether we are just being “speciesists.” Much like racists, he argues, speciesists favor the interest of their own species.
Animal rights philosopher Tom Regan argued that animals are “the subject of a life,” just as humans are. Animals are beings who have rights, with their own preferences, wants and expectations.
Making factory farming more humane does little to shade the immorality and injustice of using animals as resources.
Moderns, such as Descartes and Kant argued that animals are not conscious, do not have minds and, do not experience pain. They were, according to Descartes, “automata,” just complex machines (Descartes). For Kant, humans set their own moral rules based on reason and act upon them. This is something that animals cannot do.
More astute observations and scientific studies, however, have shown that animals do experience pain analogous to humans and have feelings. For example, elephants have complex emotional lives, including grieving for loved ones, and complex social and family relationships.
Animals can reason, communicate with one another, possibly use language in some cases and behave morally.
Thus, excluding animals from moral consideration and eating animals cannot be justified because they lack these characteristics.
Even Kant’s idea that it is the rational autonomy of humans that makes them superior does not work. Infants, Alzheimer’s patients, the developmentally disabled and some others might also be considered lacking in rational autonomy. And personhood, in any case, is not the defining criterion for being treated as an object of moral consideration.
Virtue theorist Rosalind Hursthouse argues that eating meat shows one to be “greedy,” “selfish,” “childish.” Other virtue theorists argue that the virtuous person would refrain from eating meat or too much meat out of compassion and caring for animals’ welfare.
If you accept that animals have rights, raising and killing animals for food is morally wrong.
Note: When people talk about animal rights, they are usually talking about animal interests.
An animal raised for food is being used by others rather than being respected for itself. In philosopher’s terms it is being treated as a means to human ends and not as an end in itself.
This is a clear violation of the animal’s basic interests.
Even the most humane forms of rearing and killing animals for food always violates the animal’s most basic interest – to continue living.
Modern agriculture often violates other key animal interests as well:
- to live in natural (or at least, decent) conditions
- to make free choices
- to be free from fear and pain
- to live healthy lives without needing medical intervention
- to eat a natural diet
- to enjoy the normal social/family/community life of its species
No matter how humanely an animal is treated in the process, raising and killing it for food remains morally wrong.
A friend says
If I disagree with:
A vegetarian/vegan I’m a murderer (eat lamb or veal – a baby killer).
A woman – I’m a sexist.
A homosexual – I’m a homophobe.
A non-Caucasian – I’m a racist.
An illegal alien – I’m a xenophobe/racist.
A liberal – I’m a fascist.
Not agreeing totally with left-wing ideology makes me an enemy to be justifiably (in their minds) destroyed by any means necessary!
Not sure if there are others, but feel free to add to the list.
P.s. Humans have canine teeth as do all carnivores, so we are designed and equipped to eat meat.
Tony Price says
They have certainly shown the world their true colors over the last 91/2 years.
67.4% of the population of this nation are suffering from moderate to severe ‘Liberal-Fatigue’.
Susan says
The largest canine teeth of any land animal belong to the hippo, which has been known to occasionally kill a human, but not eat one, because hippos are herbivores.
Stuart Bell says
You voted for hillary, didn’t you?
Bless your heart.
Don Green says
Mr. Bell, once again you have displayed your ignorance in assuming that someone who eats no meat, and perhaps no meat products, is a leftist. My politics are hard-right, I am a Trump supporter, and I am a vegetarian, almost a vegan. I do eat cheese sometimes and occasionally an egg.
However, the food chain is replete with carnivores. Humans, in most ways, are the most intelligent of carnivores. In this sense, eating other animals is “natural”, though as concerns me, it would be immoral to eat any part of an animal.
I grew up on a farm and remember seeing the fear in an animal’s eyes when it knew it would be slaughtered. Obviously, animals, with the possible exception of elephants and marine mammals, cannot reason as humans do, but THEY CAN SUFFER. I choose not to participate in activity that causes animal suffering, though I never comment on the activity of meat-eaters at table with me.
As usual, your comment adds nothing to the exchange. You seem to specialize in the verbal put-down, often including a cliche’, such as the tired old (rather feminine) “bless your heart”. Reading a book every now and then wouldn’t do you any harm.
Susan says
Thank you for your comment Mr. Green. I could not agree with you more, despite the fact that you characterize yourself as “hard-right” and I am admittedly not. I believe that most people who choose a plant based diet do so because they become aware of the horrendous and needless suffering of animals. There are also many other compelling reasons not to eat meat. A friend once asked me what my veggie burger tasted like. I replied it tastes like compassion for animals, a clean environment, the mitigation of climate change, and an end to world hunger. In other words, delicious.
Note: 🙂
Stuart Bell says
I am on top of the food chain on this planet we call Earth…period.
Any time you wish to discuss my ‘Ignorance’, words I choose to write, or my ability to read, please leave your phone number so that we may discuss it without moderation.
Paul Plante says
Animals can and do reason, it is the humans who are quite deficient in the use of that skill, if they even possess it anymore, which is very doubtful.
And humans are a great food source for pathogens, who have no moral compunctions or taboos against eating humans.
don green says
Thank you for this article I believe Bentham was correct. Sadly those who have posted comments assume that the post stems from a leftist point of view My own politics are hard-right, I voted for Donald Trump, I support most of the Administration’s policies, and I am a vegetarian, almost a vegan.
Humans are carnivores, just the most intelligent of carnivores. Carnivores eatmeat, so in this sense, eating meat is “natural” Nevertheless, FOR ME, eating meat is immoral When in company, my hosts are aware of my eating preferences and serve lots of salad and bread. When someone asks why I don’t eat meat, I simply say that, though most animals cannot reason, they can suffer and that I choose not to participate in anything involving animal suffering. I never try to make anyone feel guilty for eating meat–it serves no purpose to antagonize anybody in this matter.
I grew up on a farm, and I remember seeing the terror in an animal’s eyes when it knew it was about to be slaughtered. I don’t feel any better or “holier”, but I choose not to be a part of this suffering.
Again, it is post like this that make this online publication superior to all other publications in this area.
Paul Plante says
Some humans are carnivores, but not all humans are carnivores, and when you take a look around at your fellow humans, you will notice that many of them are hardly the most intelligent of carnivores.
If they were the most intelligent of carnivores, you wouldn’t see them trying to strap a cow to the trunk of their car, thinking they had just killed a deer.
Just Saying says
Morally Wrong – 1) Go to church on Sundays claiming to be religious, but quick to curse the other 6 days of the week, 2) Having the mentality that others should work and pay into a system where as those who don’t work get the benefits of others hard work, 3) Scream, shout, and criticize others when they don’t share your point of views, 4) A belief that money grows on trees as that everything you feel should be done by government is done with the utmost urgency, 5) Being to quick to criticize emergency services when you yourself have never done it or know nothing of what they do or go through