Animal Ethics, Killing and Vegetarian

Philip E. Devine on Vegetarianism

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

Vegetarian Meat Morals Cows

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 1 of 13

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 9, 2009

A third of a century ago, when the modern animal-liberation movement was in its infancy, Martin published an essay entitled “A Critique of Moral Vegetarianism,” Reason Papers (fall 1976): 13-43. I suspect that many readers of this blog are Christians but not vegetarians. At no point will we speculate about Martin’s motives.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Morals Meat Vegan

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 9 of 13

Animal Ethics

JULY 7, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. The Argument from Animal Rights A stronger argument is made by people who maintain that animals have rights. In particular, it has been argued that animals have a right to life. But this is surely dubious.

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Morals Vegetarian Suffering Killing

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Philip E. Devine on the Vegetarian's Dilemma

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 6, 2010

Either the vegetarian argues on utilitarian premises, or he tries to supplement or replace his utilitarianism with some plausible non-utilitarian principles implying the wrongfulness of rearing and killing animals for food. Either the vegetarian argues on utilitarian grounds or the vegetarian argues on nonutilitarian grounds.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Hamburgers Morals Meat

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 10 of 13

Animal Ethics

AUGUST 21, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. Suppose that tomorrow a group of beings from another planet were to land on Earth, beings who considered themselves as superior to you as you feel yourself to be to other animals. Tags: Moral Vegetarianism.

Morals

Morals Vegetarian Killing Humane

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 2 of 13

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 21, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. SOME PROBLEMS OF MORAL VEGETARIANISM With respect to traditional moral vegetarianism some problems immediately come to the fore. Who exactly is not supposed to eat animals or products of animals? Not necessarily.

Morals

Morals Vegetarian Meat Lions

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 12 of 13

Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 9, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. It is argued that the killing and eating of meat indirectly tends to brutalize people. It is argued that the killing and eating of meat indirectly tends to brutalize people. But Hitler was also a vegetarian.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Morals Inhumane Meat

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 4 of 13

Animal Ethics

MARCH 8, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. What Is an Animal Part? The last example suggests the difficulty of making a clear distinction between an animal part and an animal product. If so, the lactovo vegetarian should have no qualms about someone’s eating such legs.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Morals Suffering Vegan

Meat, Cancer, and the Cumulative Case for Ethical Vegetarianism

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 20, 2008

Ethical vegetarianism is the thesis that killing and eating animals is morally wrong whenever equally nutritious plant-based alternatives are available. The case for ethical vegetarianism starts with several uncontroversial premises. It is not just a few outspoken animal rights fanatics who hold this view.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Meat Ethics Lacto-Ovo

Peter Singer on the Wrongness of Killing Animals

Animal Ethics

JUNE 3, 2008

There I argued that the interests of animals ought to be considered equally with our own interests and that from this equality it follows that we ought to become vegetarian. Peter Singer , "Killing Humans and Killing Animals," Inquiry 22 [summer 1979]: 145-56, at 145 [italics in original; endnote omitted])

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Killing Animal Liberation Vegetarian Animal

Reasons Consistently Applied

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. a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease.

Lacto-Ovo

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Vegan Veal

Another Reason to Go Vegetarian

Animal Ethics

JULY 15, 2009

According to Stephanie Woodard's column in Prevention published today, the CDC reports that "certain types of MRSA infections kill 18,000 Americans per year—more than die from AIDS." Better yet, go vegetarian and stop having to worry about poisoning yourself or a loved one.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Factory Farm Factory Farming Factory

Roger Scruton on the Duty to Eat Meat

Animal Ethics

JUNE 17, 2011

It is asking the burger-stuffer to come clean ; to show just why it is that his greed should be indulged in this way, and just where he fits into the scheme of things, that he can presume to kill again and again for the sake of a solitary pleasure that creates and sustains no moral ties. Duty requires us, therefore, to eat our friends.

Meat

Meat Vegetarian Battery Fast Food

From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

OCTOBER 31, 2010

By carrying out a slaughter system that greatly reduces the suffering of chickens, Bell & Evans and Mary’s Chickens show that animal welfare and good business go hand in hand. While ever more consumers are going vegetarian or vegan, almost every consumer is demanding that companies take steps to reduce animal suffering.

New York Times

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Philip E. Devine on the Deontological Stop

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 4, 2009

A second vegetarian strategy is simply to reject as immoral the balancing of animal pains against human pleasures. For a vegetarian to employ a deontological stop against those who defend the eating of meat would be to guarantee that vegetarian views will remain, and deserve to remain, the exclusive property of a sect.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Meat Morals Ethics

From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

To the Editor: Re “ Animal, Vegetable, Miserable ,” by Gary Steiner (Op-Ed, Nov. 22): Mr. Steiner might feel less lonely as an ethical vegan—he says he has just five vegan friends—if he recognized that he has allies in mere vegetarians (like me), ethical omnivores and even carnivores. Jean Kazez Dallas, Nov.

New York Times

New York Times New York Vegan Vegetarian

Introducing Myself

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 18, 2006

Currently, I am very interested in social and political philosophy and ethical issues. I felt a strong sense of connection to the ideas of Peter Singer while taking Ethics from Keith. Currently, I do not believe that killing an animal is prima facie morally wrong.

Factory Farm

Factory Farm Factory Farming Morals Factory

H. J. McCloskey on Animal Rights

Animal Ethics

MAY 4, 2008

It does not settle such questions as to whether it is right to kill them if they are a burden or if they are enduring pointless suffering, but it does bear in an important way on such questions. Similarly, important conclusions follow from the question as to whether animals have rights.

Animal Rights

Animal Rights Rights Animal Bears

Henry S. Salt (1851-1939) on "Humane Slaughter"

Animal Ethics

AUGUST 17, 2008

The plea that animals might be killed painlessly is a very common one with flesh-eaters, but it must be pointed out that what-might-be can afford no exemption from moral responsibility for what-is. Salt , The Logic of Vegetarianism: Essays and Dialogues [London: The Ideal Publishing Union, 1899], 51-2 [italics in original])

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Slaughter Slaughtered Humane Vegetarian

R. G. Frey on the Principle of the Equal Consideration of Interests

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 7, 2008

According to Singer , the principle of the equal consideration of interests 'requires us to be vegetarians'. Interests arise, Singer contends, from the capacity to feel pain, which he labels a 'prerequisite' for having interests at all; and animals can and do suffer, can and do feel pain.

Factory Farm

Factory Farm Factory Farming Factory Slaughter

A Self-Interested Reason to Not Eat Meat

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 30, 2009

Here are just a few facts drawn from the column: Drug-resistant infections killed more than 65,000 people in the U.S. Second , and most importantly, refuse to support the meat industry’s unsafe practice of adding antibiotics to animal feed by refusing to purchase their products. last year—more than prostate and breast cancer combined.

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Meat Meat Industry Farm Animal Farmed Animals

From Today's Wall Street Journal

Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 6, 2009

Beyond the environmental impacts of meat production there is a basic ethical issue involved. So here is an even more modest proposal than roasting Fido: Try eating only what animals you are willing to kill with your own hands. My interactions with farm animals have been as affectionate and fun as any I've had with dogs or cats.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles San Francisco Factory Farm Factory Farming

From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

APRIL 27, 2008

There is no happy ending for even the most humanely raised animal. And there is no good reason to breed, confine and kill animals for food unless we believe that economic benefit justifies killing. We call ourselves vegetarians. More and more people do not. Patti Breitman Fairfax, Calif.,

New York Times

New York Times New York Meat Sheep

From Today's New York Times

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. In my 40s, I became a vegetarian because I was saving sick and injured birds, and I just couldn’t eat them and save them. Kristof’s column.

New York Times

New York Times New York Proposition 2 Free Range

From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

AUGUST 2, 2008

As a recent convert to vegetarianism, I found that it reinforced my feeling that the eating of living, thinking, emotional creatures is just plain wrong. Since our food is delivered to us on a bun or in big bags of frozen parts, it’s easy to eat it and not think about what it was or how it was killed. To the Editor: Nicholas D.

New York Times

New York Times New York Factory Farm Factory Farming

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 3 of 13

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. Most moral vegetarians list fish and fowl as animals one should not eat. Vegan vegetarians who eat only vegetables, fruit, and nuts do not completely remove all microorganisms from their food, even with repeated cleaning.

Morals

Morals Vegetarian Meat Killing

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 7 of 13

Animal Ethics

MAY 6, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. According to this argument, the view that eating the meat of nonhuman animals is morally permissible but eating the meat of human beings is morally forbidden is analogous to racism or sexism. This argument of the vegetarian has a point.

Morals

Morals Vegetarian Speciesism Killing

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 8 of 13

Animal Ethics

JUNE 4, 2009

For an explanation of this feature, click on “Moral Vegetarianism” at the bottom of this post. In fact, animals used for food do suffer a great deal. Not only are they killed in cruel ways, but it is well documented that they are raised in ways that cause them great discomfort and agony. Tags: Moral Vegetarianism.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Morals Protest Protesting

From the Mailbag

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 16, 2010

Keith: As a historian or even an anthropologist, one could make the argument that being a vegetarian limits one's ability to understand other cultures. I, like you, am not a complete vegetarian. What if it's customary to allow guests to torture or kill one of the tribe? Can you possibly understand them if you refuse?

Vegetarian

Vegetarian Lamb Animal Welfare Meat

Prima Facie vs. Ultima Facie Wrongness

Animal Ethics

DECEMBER 23, 2006

Jonathan Hubbell, a philosophy major at the University of Texas at Arlington, is the newest member of the Animal Ethics blog, and once again, I would like to welcome him aboard. In his fresh and candid first post (available here ), Jonathan admitted that he is struggling with the issue of ethical vegetarianism.

Factory Farm

Factory Farm Factory Farming Morals Meat

Animal Rights Zone

Philip E. Devine on Vegetarianism

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 1 of 13

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Moral Vegetarianism, Part 9 of 13

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Philip E. Devine on the Vegetarian's Dilemma

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 10 of 13

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 2 of 13

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 12 of 13

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 4 of 13

Meat, Cancer, and the Cumulative Case for Ethical Vegetarianism

Peter Singer on the Wrongness of Killing Animals

Reasons Consistently Applied

Another Reason to Go Vegetarian

Roger Scruton on the Duty to Eat Meat

From Today's New York Times

Philip E. Devine on the Deontological Stop

From Today's New York Times

Introducing Myself

H. J. McCloskey on Animal Rights

Henry S. Salt (1851-1939) on "Humane Slaughter"

R. G. Frey on the Principle of the Equal Consideration of Interests

A Self-Interested Reason to Not Eat Meat

From Today's Wall Street Journal

From Today's New York Times

From Today's New York Times

From Today's New York Times

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 3 of 13

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 7 of 13

Moral Vegetarianism, Part 8 of 13

From the Mailbag

Prima Facie vs. Ultima Facie Wrongness

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