The Debate on Veganism

Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.
—Albert Schweitzer, French philosopher, physician, and musician (Nobel 1952)

Vegan (pronounced VEE-gan):

1. (n) A vegetarian who does not consume eggs or dairy

2. (n) A person who does not use or consume animals or animal products for any purpose

3. (adj) Containing no animal flesh or products (used to describe a food item or other object)

4. (adj) Produced without the use of animals or animal products.

Like everything else, veganism was first conceptualized in Ancient Greece – by Pythagoras,

who believed that an animal-free diet would help support the idea that humans and animals were

more equal and had similar souls. Jump forward to the early 19th century in England, where

the Alcott Society, a vegetarian club led by James Greaves, who were fighting the idea that

vegetarians were “outsiders” of the wealthy class (though most people of the Third Estate had

mostly vegetarian diets for hundreds of years). It was in these vegetarian groups where Henry

Salt pled for a paradigm shift in the way we think about food – to think about the rights and

welfare of the animals one eat, and to act in their, and our, best interest, similar to the idea most

Native Americans had implemented for hundreds if not thousands of years. His ideas of "anti-

speciesism" and species equality inspired world leaders – such as Gandhi and his subsequent followers.

The term vegan was finally coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, which was taken from the first

and last syllables (or letters) of “vegetarian.”  Viewed by many vegans as the "natural extension of vegetarianism," veganism as a sociocultural phenomenon has emerged all over the world, with vegan societies in places as far apart as Japan, Brazil, India, Ireland, and Uruguay.

Disputed Definitions

The criteria for being considered truly vegan are still hotly disputed in vegan circles.  While all vegans agree that veganism rules out consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs, some vegans still eat honey, while others abhor this practice on the basis of exploitation of bees.  Many vegans also reject the practice of using animal products such as pearls, coral, ivory, or leather, and some additionally reject the practice of keeping carnivorous animals such as cats as pets, because they require food containing animal products.  As we will discuss, these disputes in definition stem from vegans' differing rationales behind their practice.

The Reasoning

The reasons for veganism can be divided into three major interrelated categories: ethical, health-related, and environmental.  Vegans usually ground their practice in some combination of these different types of reasoning. 

1. Ethical Vegans

Ethical vegans come in many subtle and nuanced varieties. 

Check out the quotes on this website to get an idea of some of the ways ethical vegans think: www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/quotes.html.

Some ethical vegans take a moral, anthropocentric stance, arguing that humans must refrain from harming animals because of our superior capability to reason, which puts the burden of ethical action upon us.  Responding to the popular argument that humans should eat meat because it is "natural" - we evolved to be omnivores after all - ethical vegans argue that just because we can eat meat doesn't mean we should.  As the creatures most capable of ethical reasoning, humans have the responsibility to prevent pain whenever possible.

Peter Singer justifies this lifestyle with his “utilitarian” philosophy that there is no moral or

logical justification for refusing to count animal suffering as a consequence when making ethical

decisions, and that the limit of sentience of animals is "the only defensible boundary of concern

for the interests of others." (Singer does not contend that killing animals is wrong conceptually,

but that from a consequentialist standpoint it should be rejected unless necessary for survival).

Gary Francione, a law professor and rights-theorist, believes that all sentient beings have the

right to not be property to another. Carol Adam’s book The Sexual Politics of Meat (otherwise

known as the vegan bible) says that all meat-eaters are absent from the idea they are eating

another animal and have lost touch with their inner-animal.

Ethical vegans frequently run into moral dilemmas in daily life, like this puzzled individual writing on an internet forum:

"I have been vegetarian for many years and try to eat organic produce, if possible. I am grappling with the issue that many organic fertilisers are of animal origin and wondering if the animals that the fertilisers are derived from are of organic origin, too? Where does it start or end? I don’t really want to eat food that has been grown in a way that causes harm to animals, but I realise that chemical fertilisers and pesticides are potentially damaging to me and to the environment. Help. Are fish, blood and bone fertilisers the most commonly used for growing organic vegetables, or are there other sources? (A local organic farmer tells me that she uses only horse manure and I try to buy as much veg as possible from her … we live in France.)"

In addition to worrying about dead animals being used as fertilizer, ethical vegans worry about insects being crushed to make red dyes, oysters being exploited in the production of pearls, silkworms being exploited to make silk, and how to feed their housecat without purchasing any animal products: http://www.vegancats.com/pages/1007/FAQ.htm#1179

Ethical vegans are often quite serious about considering veganism to be a moral imperative, and are easy to make fun of for the examples listed above.  To get a more in-depth look at how ethical vegans think and communicate, check out this thread on a vegan forum, debating whether adopting a vegan lifestyle should be considered a "moral virtue" or a "moral obligation":

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?28840-Moral-virtue-vs-moral-obligation-and-other-arguments-that-have-me-stumped

2. Health-conscious Vegans

Although they are disdained by ethical vegans who consider an animal-rights based ethical standpoint to be essential to "true veganism," some people adhere to a vegan diet on the basis that it is healthier.  However, the jury is still out on whether or not a vegan diet can be safe and healthy for all individuals.

A popular argument against veganism is that it is simply unnatural. Humans are omnivores: a fact made evident every time we smile. We come equipped with big, thin, sharp teeth in the front of our faces that were put there to cut and tear through meat. We also require vitamin B12, which is only naturally-occurring in animal cells. For this reason, people on a vegan diet must be incredibly diligent about getting enough of this essential vitamin and often take dietary supplements or eat fortified foods to avoid falling victim to malnutrition.

This author thinks veganism is great: http://sugarrocket.com/vegan/vegan-myths.php

The scientists and health officials can't agree: while the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada state that veganism can be a healthy choice for individuals at all stages of life, the Swiss Federal Nutrition Commission and the German Society for Nutrition caution against veganism as an unhealthy choice for children, the pregnant, and the elderly.

3. Environmental Vegans

Environmental vegans abstain from eating meat on the basis that meat production, in light of a growing human population, is environmentally unsustainable.  Vegans argue that the overproduction and overconsumption of meat and dairy products in Western society has created a food production system that uses land and resources in inefficient ways, and that abstaining from this system is a means of protest and a move toward a more sustainable future food system. However, much of the world doesn’t have access to vitamin B12 supplements or fortified almond milk. Is a family in a small village that raises goats and chickens for meat, eggs and milk really partaking in “animal cruelty?”

Check out this website for further explanation of the rationale behind environmental veganism:

http://www.vegansociety.com/resources/environment.aspx

So what's our argument?  In class, Triforce will make the argument that militant ethical vegans are not only naive idealists, but are totally missing the point.  See you tomorrow!