Vegetarianism, Sentimental or Ethical? |
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Authors: | Jan Deckers |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK |
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Abstract: | In this paper, I provide some evidence for the view that a common charge against those who adopt vegetarianism is that they
would be sentimental. I argue that this charge is pressed frequently by those who adopt moral absolutism, a position that
I reject, before exploring the question if vegetarianism might make sense. I discuss three concerns that might motivate those
who adopt vegetarian diets, including a concern with the human health and environmental costs of some alternative diets, a
concern about inflicting pain on animals, and a concern with the killing of animals. While I argue that vegetarianism does
not make sense in some situations, I hope that this paper shows that there are many good reasons why the adoption of vegetarian,
and—even more so—vegan diets might be appropriate in some situations. In carving out this position, I focus primarily on the
question whether a morally relevant distinction between the killing of plants and the killing of animals should be made. I
engage primarily with the views of two of the most prominent authors on this issue, arguing that neither Peter Singer nor
Tom Regan provide a satisfactory account on the ethics of killing nonhuman organisms. Two views are challenged in particular,
the view that relatively simple animals such as molluscs, as well as plants, lack awareness, and the view that animals without
a preference to continue living stand to lose little or nothing by being killed. I provide some evidence to support the claim
that many share my view that it is more problematic to kill animals than to kill plants, before analyzing why some suppress
the negative feelings they associate with killing animals. By exploring these issues I hope to shed some light on the issue
of whether the feelings of those who adopt vegetarianism are sentimental or make sense, and to stimulate reflection amongst
those with an interest in food ethics. |
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