The Ethics of Eating Meat

Singer lays out many of the themes we have seen in White, Callicott, and Leopold. In presenting multiple arguments for the consumption of meat he is able to systematically refute each argument and strengthen the notion that animals are morally considerable beings. He draws conclusions similar to earlier authors we read in that animals have interests and should be treated ethically just as babies and adults with disabilities should be treated ethically. He also notes the fact that speciesism can be rooted in religious traditions.

Here we get our first look into the world of factory farming as well as alternative farming practices. The real issue is however, is that the reader must decide whether or not they believe killing animals for meat is ethical, and how do they justify this? I imagine it would be a much different world if everyone had to slaughter and process his/her own meat. I know plenty of people who eat meat on a regular basis, but if they had to kill the animal themselves I imagine they would not be able to do so. How many of you would be willing to kill a cow to have your next hamburger?

Singer mentions that hunting and then consuming animals is perhaps more ethical because the animals are able to enjoy their life as free beings. However he points out that it is not always this simple and often times hunting can also be cruel. It comes down to the fact that today, eating meat is really a thing of convenience. We are able to purchase meat at the grocery store, yet few of us know (or even care) how it actually got there. Fast food restaurants can sell meat products for only a few dollars and no one questions how they were made. Not only does the consumption of meat leave a bigger footprint, it can have serious health consequences. Yet, much of the developed world does not question how we get our meat. The animal agriculture sector today is run largely by powerful private companies that have found ways to get skirt around regulations. If there was greater transparency of the large companies so that consumers could witness the methods used in meat production, maybe fewer people would be inclined to eat meat. Attempts have been made with films such as Food Inc., yet there has been no significant drop in meat consumption. It would be one thing if the presence of factory farming ended hunger, malnutrition, or food deserts, yet this is not the case. How can we justify factory farming when these issues still exist and there are sustainable alternatives to eating meat?

Eating meat, at least in the South where I come from, is much more than the simple act of consuming food. It carries social connotations, for example a man who eats meat is perceived as much more of a man than he who chooses not to. People believe that having meat at every meal is a necessity. Contests are created to see who can eat the most meat. Consuming meat has become part of our identity. How then do we convince people today that there is a viable alternative to eating meat?