Is it ethical to eat meat?
According to Haile (84), the ethics of eating meat is derived from theological perspective which defines the problem as unethical. It is argued that Christians should become vegetarians and this is one way of practicing stewardship. In this article, the author states that the questionable ethics is rooted from the slaughtering techniques where farm industries use atrocious processes to slaughter animals (Haile, 86). The problem with this practice is that animals for slaughter are put in overcrowded confinements and animals are prevented from interacting with natural environment. People have shown an ethical concern due to healthy issues. For example, factory farms are contributing to mad cow disease among others. In addition, ethical concerns have been expressed due to environmental damage since factory firms feed the animals with antibiotics which then overflows to the rivers (Haile, 86). The article introduces the utilitarian argument offered by Peter Singer’s and affirms that people who eat vegetables maximize utility since they reduce death and animal suffering. In addition, the author states that according to deontological theory, animals have the same rights as human beings such as not to suffer, quality care, humane treatment, providing mental needs and more (Haile, 90). Finally, the author argues by using virtue ethics which states that ethics should not be judged through action but people should deal with character which defines virtuous tendencies. The ethics focus on moral virtues which every human being achieve through positive acts toward human good and through human efforts to live a moral life and to avoid evil. The theological virtue asserts that human beings should practice charity which allows people to value the creation and to care for the creatures. Christians are called to have a sustainable future and protect the creation from predatory abuse (Haile, 90).
According to Henning (64), livestock production has led to a big concern to human and environment. Mass consumption is contributing to environmental pollution such global warming, deforestation and animal suffering. For example, 275million tons of meat were estimated to be the total meat production in 2007. People derive a high amount of daily protein from animal sources and 273 pounds of meat is consumed by one person annually in U.S (Henning, 65). The problem is that 80% of the livestock is produced in the industrial livestock where animals suffer due to lack of carefree life. Industrial livestock use intensive methods where animals are kept in confined spaces and provided with a high-protein diet. Given that animals are fed on antibiotics, they are contributing to infectious diseases. In addition, people are suffering from Illnesses such as obesity among other diseases in modern world. Health professionals state that high intake of protein from animal source leads to cancer, hypertension, and diabetes among other illnesses (Henning, 65). The article states that people have ignored the ethical significance and the ignorance has led to nutritious crisis.
Hiaso asserts that it is an immoral act to cause unjustified pain. Other ethical argument is that eating meat is unethical since meat should not the first choice for nourishment. The act of causing pain without a good reason is immoral or in other words, animals have their own rights (Hiaso, 278). In addition to the idea from other authors that meat causes illness, killing animal or inflicting pain to obtain food is not justifiable. In defending the vegetarian’s argument, the article argues that animals are sentient beings and for this reason they have moral status (Hiaso, 278). People should show goodness to something which shows worthiness in ends or purpose. In other words, animals are entitled for welfare conditions and they should be cared.
Work cited
Henning, Brian. "Standing in Livestock's ''Long Shadow'': The Ethics of Eating Meat on a Small
Planet." Ethics & the Environment, vol. 16, no. 2, Fall2011, p. 63. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.2979/ethicsenviro.16.2.63.
Hsiao, Timothy. “In defense of eating meat”. Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Ethics 28.2
(2015): 277-291.
HAILE, BETH K. "Virtuous Meat Consumption." Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought & Culture, vol. 16,
- 1, Winter2013, pp. 83-100. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=84690983&site=ehost-live.
