Pegged by some as an egotistical, non-environmental, intolerable act, slaughtering animals for meat has been a long-standing ethical argument. Therefore, the solution found by many is to live a vegetarian lifestyle, this lowers one’s ecological footprint, while simultaneously working toward a common cause of decreasing the rate of animal cruelty. I read an array of different sources, including articles from each school of thought: PEDA and the meat industry. When juxtaposing this with my prior knowledge on the topic, I found my results.
The results accumulated are the different arguments proposed on this topic. Those that are against argue the anthropocentric nature of eating meat, Bentham’s argument of animal’s feel pain, and the brutal actions of factory farming surface frequently. Those arguing for slaughtering for meat discuss the same issues, but on the reversed side of the coin. Included in their arguments is the necessity to realize that not all, in fact most, animals are not treated mercilessly when killed. In addition, they are being slaughtered for a purpose, not a meaningless, unnecessary act. From these results I have come to the conclusion that it is a case-by-case basis for ethically slaughtering animals for meat. Ethically, this topic is difficult to measure, because it essentially comes down to the cultural and personal beliefs of each individual.
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Discussion Section: THURS
ReplyDeleteHow do universal moral standards play in to this debate? What are the ethical implications of consuming a strictly vegetarian diet (tofu production, pesticide use, etc.)?
ReplyDeleteIn your reading of Bentham, have you found that he would support: the killing of some animals over other animals? one method of slaughter over others? Or would he not support the killing of any animals for our personal consumption?
ReplyDeleteHow does cultural relativism play a role in determining what is and is not ethical slaughtering?
ReplyDeleteIn your research did you find the argument that these animals would not have been born if not for farming/slaughtering for food? The individuals (not necessarily the species)are bred to be food and therefore would not exist otherwise. How did or would you think the two sides would handle this argument? From the different views learned in class how would this fit in?
ReplyDeleteIf everyone were to live a vegetarian lifestyle, how would the population growth of a particular species affect the food supply chain and its impact on the environment? How would we remain balanced?
ReplyDeleteWhat are the standards of what is/isn't considered mercy towards animals?
Going off of Regina's first point:
ReplyDeleteIf everyone were to live a vegetarian lifestyle, how would the vegetation be affected? Would supply be able to keep up with demand?
Also, if this ethical argument is able to be judged on a case-by-case basis, are all others able to be judged in this way? Who would do the judging? I think it is safe to assume that not everyone would agree on this topic. Wouldn't such individual judgment just contribute to the problem of having no universal moral standard (the current dilemma)?
What did you find about the environmental implications of eating meat? Have you looked at the eating practices of other cultures? They all vary in what they eat, but do they vary in the production of meat? (Ie, do other cultures have factory farms?)
ReplyDeleteDo you feel this case-by-case study has to do with the way animals are slaughtered or the environment they are raised? Or a combination of both?
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel about if an animal is killed in a cruel way in order to be eaten? An example would be how veal is made. Is this a case that can be justified how?
ReplyDeleteHow could the Darwinian approach to anthropocentrism be approached to this dilemma? Is this something that can be argued since we are the dominant species and can do as we please? Or is this something that we have an obligation to act as ethically as possible to other species now that we are dominant?
ReplyDeleteFactory farming is inhumane yes, why are humans held to such a high degree to be vegetarians? There are plenty of animals out there who eat meat too. Are lions unethical for slaughtering a gazelle?
ReplyDeleteHow does someone against the slaughtering of animals argue against the social contract theory and veil of ignorance which excludes animals as having any rights? On the other side, how does one in favor of animal slaughter argue against Bentham and his view that animals are equal to use because they have a central nervous system?
ReplyDelete