The Ethics of Eating Meat
When I was a teenager, I became a “vegetarian” out of love for animals - pop tarts & Mac & Cheese were my staples through college, with black beans & pizza from time to time. About seven years ago, I was teaching an ethics class and we had this exact discussion. As it turns out, I could not think of any ways to justify eating meat, so just like that, I became a vegetarian, this time one who also eats vegetables. The first problem we encounter is Descartes. He gave us a duality that is challenging to escape. If we (humans) are bodies and minds, that makes us better. We can justify our treatment of animals because they are just bodies. Even Kant makes this argument: “But so far as animals are concerned, we have no direct duties. Animals are not self-conscious and are there merely as a means to an end. That end is man.” He does go on, however, to say that the way we treat animals is a mirror to our treatment of humans. The way we treat those who are seemingly in...