This book puts the issue of eating animals squarely
on the table. We all claim to care about animals and to
regard them as having at least some moral value. We all
claim to agree that it’s wrong to inflict “unnecessary”
suffering and death on animals and--whatever
disagreement we may have about when animal use is
necessary—we all agree that the suffering and death of
animals cannot be justified by human pleasure,
amusement, or convenience. We condemn Michael Vick for
dog fighting precisely because we feel strongly that any
pleasure that Vick got from this activity could not
possibly justify what he did. So how can we justify the
fact that we kill many billions of land animals and fish
every year for food? However “humanely” we treat and
kill these animals, the amount of animal suffering we
cause is staggering. Yet no one maintains that animal
foods are necessary for optimal health. Indeed, mounting
empirical evidence points to animal foods being
detrimental for human health. But however you evaluate
that evidence, there can be no serious doubt that we can
have excellent health with a vegan diet. There is also
broad consensus that animal agriculture is an ecological
disaster. Animal agriculture is responsible for water
pollution, air pollution, deforestation, soil erosion,
inefficient use of plant protein and water, and all
sorts of other environmental harms. The best
justification we have for the unimaginable amount of
suffering and death that we impose on animals is that
they taste good. We enjoy the taste of animal foods. But
how is this any different from Michal Vick claiming that
his dog fighting operation was justifiable because he
enjoyed watching dogs fight? Vick liked sitting around a
pit watching animals fight. We enjoy sitting around the
summer barbecue pit roasting the corpses of animals who
have had lives and deaths that are as bad, if not worse
than, Vick’s dogs. What is the difference between
Michael Vick and those of us who eat animal foods? This
book shows that there is no difference, or at least not
any difference that matters morally. Francione and
Charlton argue that if you think animals matter
morally—if you reject the idea that animals are just
things—your own beliefs require that you stop eating
animal products. There is nothing "extreme" about a
vegan diet; what is extreme is the inconsistency between
what we say we believe and how we act where animals are
concerned. Many of us are uneasy thinking about the
animals who end up on our plates. We may have thought
about stopping eating animal products but there are many
excuses that have kept us from doing so. The authors
explore the 30+ excuses they have heard as long-time
vegans and address each one, showing why these excuses
don’t work. Packed with clear, commonsense thinking on
animal ethics, without jargon or complicated theory,
this book will change the way you think about what you
eat.
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