How do you morally justify eating animals? (itt the OP discovers forum discussions)

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An interesting theory, I have been reading about is that contrary to Jeremy Bentham's (who basically said so long as animals are treated "humanely" it is morally acceptable to use them as property because they have no interest in their own lives/a future existence) theory of humane treatment of animals is that animals have an interest in their own life. The basic premise of the theory is equal consideration which says similar interest should be treated similarly and just as race or sex is not a morally justifiable basis for disparate treatment, species is also not a justifiable basis for disparate treatment. So long as an animal can suffer (so long as it is sentient) it deserves to not have suffering inflicted on it.

Similarly, this theory would say that it is morally wrong to inflict unnecessary suffering on an animal and since eating animal products are unnecessary to our survival it is morally wrong to use animals as food.

An interest thought, is eating animal products any different than dog fighting? (follow link for an interesting article before answering)
 

WaterBomb

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Plants have feelings too, but they know their place and don't expect rights to be given them.
 

Nastyjungle

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Humans are omnivores; we eat meat.
That's all there is too it.
People can choose to not eat meat if they want to, but people who choose to eat it shouldn't have to justify it.
 
They taste good, and more importantly provide protein, which has allowed us humans to have large brains and thus become intelligent beings.
The same can be said for plants. An all vegan diet is more than adequate for providing enough protein to live and thrive.
 
We're at the top of the food chain, nuff said. Besides, it's not our fault Cows and Pigs and Chickens taste so good inside of a Sesame Seed Bun.
 

Matthew

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The idea of eating animals has always been of mixed review to me. I have absolutely no problem eating cows (burgers, steak, mmmmmmmmm), but then I get into things like Octopi and I have to take a step back. I'm well aware that octopi are extremely smart (not to mention cool as fuck), and I feel bad eating something with higher brain development. This just seems like another vegetarian I'm right thread, but in any case.

People evolved by eating meat, meat tastes good! You said if it'd be okay to eat another human and of course not, however I'm almost positive most animals follow this same rule. I haven't in all my time seen another lion eat a lion. (Maybe sharks are the exception). Animals of the same species will fight and probably take chunks out of their opponent (what else are they gonna do, teeth of steel).

A vegetarian lifestyle is currently the healthiest choice anyone can make right now, but that doesn't mean eating animals is wrong.
 
Humans are omnivores; we eat meat.
That's all there is too it.
People can choose to not eat meat if they want to, but people who choose to eat it shouldn't have to justify it.
Just because something is a certain way does not mean it ought to be that way. Humans have the ability to think rationally and make moral decisions, if we excepted the is/ought fallacy women would still be property of men since that is the way it was until about 100 year ago.
 

cookie

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There are so many people on Earth that a great deal of our activities result in the suffering of other animals. Mice and voles etc. get chewed up by combine harvesters, geese get sucked into jet engines, habitats get displaced for living space, you get the idea. It is impossible to attempt to provide an acceptable standard of living without harming others: at this point you need to value the lives of people against animals. Some of this is acceptable on the basis that it's necessary, some of it isn't.

Regarding meat, yes strictly speaking we don't need to. I still eat meat because the death of another animal doesn't affect me. Life has no intrinsic value, so the enjoyment/benefit I get from meat can't be reasonably outweighed by any "ethical" considerations.
 

Fishy

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ugh, these debates are irritating but fun at the same time

look, the entire world can't live happily if everyone only eats plants or beans or everyone just suddenly becomes vegan, it just can't work like that. humans mainly eating meat/animals and slaughterhouses/related business are an important part of population control, if you want to loosely look at it that way. honestly it's hard to articulate a succinct post about this there are a zillion ways to go about saying "humans > animals" as far as the food chain goes. also, who said animals DESERVE not to be eaten just because they feel suffering? people are assholes anyway who run around murdering other human beings for goodness' sake, you can't expect us to give animals a break when their murder is something that actually benefits us as a whole instead of hurting and disgracing us as a species otherwise.

until an animal raises its head and says "please don't eat me!" i'm going to shove its medium-rare face into mine, every time
 
Just because something is a certain way does not mean it ought to be that way. Humans have the ability to think rationally and make moral decisions, if we excepted the is/ought fallacy women would still be property of men since that is the way it was until about 100 year ago.
What 'ought'? I don't think we ought to just eat plants. Oughts are subjective.
Lol, morality is relative anyway. I don't know about rationally.
This is a debate on animals, not women.
 
my short answer is... we don't. the difference between dog fighting and eating a hamburger is that culturally, dogs are seen as pets and friends, while cows are seen as primarily a food source. that makes it hard to equate the two when talking about morality because they aren't seen as the same type of object. it's normal to kill cows and eat them. it's not normal to kill dogs and eat them.

isn't the whole idea behind "moral vegetarianism" the belief that killing cows/etc for food is immoral? the only difference between those people and omnivores is that moral vegetarians don't think the societal and cultural differences between different animals is a suitable justification for killing some for food.
 

Nastyjungle

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Just because something is a certain way does not mean it ought to be that way. Humans have the ability to think rationally and make moral decisions, if we excepted the is/ought fallacy women would still be property of men since that is the way it was until about 100 year ago.
I'll put it this way then:
I personally believe meat tastes fantastic. Meat is good for you (in reasonable quantities, like all things). All of my favorite foods include meat. I also do not care about cows and pigs and the like. I feel sorry that they have to be chopped up into food, but not sorry enough that I'm going to stop eating it.

People can vegan all they want and I don't care- but they shouldn't try to force it on other people.
 

Matthew

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that link didn't say anything about lions eating each other and on top of that it had the praying mantis which I think is funny. The only reason the female praying mantis eats the males head is post-coitus she needs nutrients for their offspring to survive. The male praying mantis knows this and does it anyway, like a true dad!
 
my short answer is... we don't. the difference between dog fighting and eating a hamburger is that culturally, dogs are seen as pets and friends, while cows are seen as primarily a food source. that makes it hard to equate the two when talking about morality because they aren't seen as the same type of object. it's normal to kill cows and eat them. it's not normal to kill dogs and eat them.

isn't the whole idea behind "moral vegetarianism" the belief that killing cows/etc for food is immoral? the only difference between those people and omnivores is that moral vegetarians don't think the societal and cultural differences between different animals is a suitable justification for killing some for food.
That is true, if you accept culture as determining morality than it would not be morally wrong. But with using culture as determining right and wrong is that that makes all change morally wrong. So it would have been morally wrong to protect a slave from being beaten to death by his owner because culturally someone with light skin was valued someone with dark skin was not. Looking back I would hope you would see the problem with that.
 
That is true, if you accept culture as determining morality than it would not be morally wrong. But with using culture as determining right and wrong is that that makes all change morally wrong. So it would have been morally wrong to protect a slave from being beaten to death by his owner because culturally someone with light skin was valued someone with dark skin was not. Looking back I would hope you would see the problem with that.
Culture has a large say in morality.
Cultures change, their morality changes.
The only reason we see a problem with that is because of our current culture.
 
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