Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

I suspect that many regular readers of Animal Ethics are already vegetarians. That's because those who read Animal Ethics with regularity know that there are many compelling reasons to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. This precept is variably stated as follows: Avoid killing or harming any living being.

Lacto-Ovo 40

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Vegan Veal 40

Animal Ethics

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

There are two approaches a vegetarian might take in arguing that rearing and killing animals for food is morally offensive. He might argue that eating animals is morally bad because of the pain inflicted on animals in rearing and killing them to be eaten. Or he could object to the killing itself.

Vegetarian 40

Vegetarian Meat Morals Cows 40

Animal Ethics

APRIL 16, 2009

April 9, 2009 To the Editor: In making the personal decision of where to place ourselves in our ethical relationship with animals, it is important to evaluate the reality of our words. Egg production, including on free-range farms, entails the mass killing of newborn male chicks, a point made in Nicholas D.

New York Times 40

New York Times New York Proposition 2 Free Range 40

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 22, 2007

The animal advocacy group Compassion Over Killing has created a new website to bring attention to the fact that Morningstar Farms continues to use "battery eggs" from caged birds in their products. Here is the link.

Animal Advocacy 40

Animal Advocacy Advocacy Battery Compassion 40

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

He doesn’t recognize the public health and ecological harms caused by industrial food animal production methods, including increased antibiotic resistance, polluted drinking water, huge fish kills and impaired air quality leading to respiratory illness. But let’s not play psychiatrist with other animals’ minds.

New York Times 40

New York Times New York Gestation Crates Gestation 40

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 9, 2009

On the lactovo variety, eating animal products, e.g., milk and eggs, would not be considered morally wrong, although eating certain animals would be; on the vegan variety, eating animal products would be morally forbidden as well. Would it be morally permissible for you to kill some people and eat them?

Vegetarian 40

Vegetarian Morals Meat Vegan 40

Animal Ethics

MARCH 8, 2009

If a genetically engineered animal’s legs periodically fell off, would not its legs be more like a product of an animal (analogous to eggs) than a part of the animal? But keep in mind that many lactovo vegetarians care about how animal products are produced, not just the fact that they are animal products.

Vegetarian 40

Vegetarian Morals Suffering Vegan 40