Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

The Ethics of Eating Non-Human Animals


Angry Goose

Recommended Posts

Intellgience wise there is not much difference between a dog and a pig, yet it's ok to eat and farm pigs, yet illegal to do so with dogs. Why? Because one was deemed to cute to do so.

I DON'T eat meat, obviously, but I am not totally against someone eating it. Just want to point out, we only eat animals that we don't find adorable

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Intellgience wise there is not much difference between a dog and a pig, yet it's ok to eat and farm pigs, yet illegal to do so with dogs. Why? Because one was deemed to cute to do so.

I DON'T eat meat, obviously, but I am not totally against someone eating it. Just want to point out, we only eat animals that we don't find adorable

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still trying the morality card, eh Stew? You failed miserably to prove it last time and you will again this time. I'm still waiting for your answers to my questions.

By your painfully simplistic argument, short quick deaths of animals results in sudden pain but no agony destroying your argument.

Do fish qualify as having sentience? Slugs? Insects?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll throw in my 2 cents

Two arguments that seem to be prevalent here are:

1) Animals eat other animals and human have been eating animals for centuries, therefore it's acceptable for people to do it too.

The first part of the argument, if applied to all things, would justify all sorts of behaviors we consider inhumane.

Things animals do that we shouldn't: sex without consent, killing of other animals of same species, killing of babies fathered by a previous dominant male, cannibalism (our closest relative in the animal kingdom, chimps, do this as well), incest...i could go on, but I think my point is clear that we should have a higher standard than animals.

The second part of the argument, which is do what humans have done for centuries leads to similar problems.

Things people in history have done that we shouldn't: slavery, racism in general, sexism (no rights for women), rape within a marriage (legal in Canada until the 70,s or 80's), residential schools, genocide...These things, were not only common and legal, but also socially accepted. Basically, we should hold ourselves to higher standards than our previous generations.

2) It is natural for humans to eat animals, since it is part of our biology.

This is a tough one. But humans are omnivores, and can meet most of our nutritional needs from consumption of plants and fungi, and we have the capacity to do so because of our intellect, so eating meat just seems unnecessary.

The morality of not eating meat may likely not be understood by someone that has never been to a slaughterhouse, or killed an animal. It's very easy to detach yourself from the situation when the meat is cut and packaged. It's just a matter of empathy, and the ability of putting yourself in the animals' shoes (I know they don't actually wear shoes). Some people aren't able to do that, but I think eating meat is wrong for the same reason as the killing of dolphins by the Japanese (which generally, people agree is wrong), or killing and eating of dogs (animals we can more easily sympathize with because of their relations to humans), or killing of seals (which most find unacceptable just because we think they are cute).

Edit: The killing of animals in wild by humans is unsustainable for the most part, and the farming of animals has similar problems. For pragmatic reasons, it also makes sense to be a vegetarian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You missed the point. I was trying to show that if a lion does something, or humans have done something in the past, it is not a good argument to say it's ok for humans to do it today. Frankly, human behavior, and acceptance of certain things has changed dramatically in the last few centuries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You missed the point. I was trying to show that if a lion does something, or humans have done something in the past, it is not a good argument to say it's ok for humans to do it today. Frankly, human behavior, and acceptance of certain things has changed dramatically in the last few centuries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...