The Vegetarian Imperative

Abstract

<p> Why Eating Meat is an Ethical Issue</p><p> Most of those reading this essay, as well as the author, were reared as meat-eaters. Our parents would not have thought they were doing anything dubious or wrong when providing meat-centered meals - indeed quite the contrary. The justification for eating meat was just assumed and likely never came up as an issue for discussion. If we thought about eating meat at all, our images were probably positive and comforting, for what could be more "natural" than to eat meat? But hold on a second. Something's being natural doesn't make it either right or wrong. (So it also follows that no mileage can be gained from the observation that other primates and many mammals - our evolutionary cousins - eat meat.) We need to critically examine a practice in order to evaluate it from an ethical viewpoint.</p><p> Meat-eaters might wonder why some think eating meat is morally suspect and respond with a question of their own: "Should I really give up meat? Of course, animals are of moral concern, but there are limits to this. They aren't really that similar to us. Besides, food animals are bred to be eaten." Well, what about all this? To sort out these issues, we need to consider how animals fit into our ethical framework. And to do that, we require a better understanding of what animals really are.</p>