Meat eating ethical?

[Marsellus Wallace]

Anyone here know of good arguments against the notion that eating animals is unethical? Why exactly is it ok to cage a cow its whole life, slaughter it, and then eat it but it's not ok to cage a human its whole life, slaughter it, and eat it? What exactly is the difference that makes the former ethical but the latter unethical?

If your only argument is "Duhhhh cow tasty!" then please leave. Serious arguments only please.

I think our new incomer(filthy meat) should answer this question

[No_God]

There are just too many mouths to feed on this planet for me to give a shit how a cow feels.

[LastPoet]

I'm getting the munchies from this thread. Hmmmm food.

[pocaracas]

I like bacon.
You guys can keep your meat...

Now, for those who say there are higher animals.... how about fish?
My kids say fish is not meat.

[max-greece]

Of course it would be bedlam if we stopped eating meat. I have no idea what the populations of cows and pigs are but if the world removed them from its diet there would be the biggest wholesale slaughter of them to follow - we simply couldn't afford to keep feeding them.

So it is my moral duty to eat beef and pork - just to keep the populations of these animals up.

[The Grand Nudger]

I've got a little tickle in my brain telling me that me the taste of something doesn't alone justify killing it.

IDK.........watermelon, strawberries, tomatoes......okra ffs......

[vodkafan]

Because some people don't want anyone to eat it due to their ethics.

Like religion, what you eat , who you choose to love and who you vote for should be a personal choice not dictated too.

[Anomalocaris]

Anyone here know of good arguments against the notion that eating animals is unethical?

yes. It is not unethical because it is aethical.

Ethics's only fundamental justification is for the better governance of human societies. Welfare of animals relates to bondaries of ethics much the same way as welfare of coal, or iron ore. If my consumption of it does not diminish your right to consume it should you chose, then your not willing to consume it does not give you any say over how I would consume it.

BTW, I loath the degradation and diminution of the concept of ethics that comes as a result of the effort of those strong willed but weak witted busybodies to turn ethics from a invaluable tool for the common good into nothing more than a clumsy club to impose their own personal squeamishness on the rest of society.

[KUSA]

Because some people don't want anyone to eat it due to their ethics.

Like religion, what you eat , who you choose to love and who you vote for should be a personal choice not dictated too.

Please explain this to the religious zombies that are always trying to infect the heathens with their God disease.

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

Anyone here know of good arguments against the notion that eating animals is unethical?

yes. It is not unethical because it is aethical.

Ethics's only fundamental justification is for the better governance of human societies. Welfare of animals relates to bondaries of ethics much the same way as welfare of coal, or iron ore.

That's a rather arbitrary distinction. Why limit ethics to humans? What's the big difference between an animal and a human that would entail that ethics is only concern when dealing with other humans?

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I disagree, the killing..and subsequently what we do with their bodies after they're dead is pretty much an afterthought.

Now before you get to thinking I'm being harsh...keep in mind that an "ethically raised" captive animal can expect a healthier life and a kinder end than any wild counterpart. Perhaps we think of the kil;ling as being the dillemma...but isn't it possible that we only think so because we have removed ourselves from wasting away or being eaten alive by some asshat feline? Just food for thought..hehehe.

This so far is the only good response but I still see holes in it. If keeping animals captive does reduce their suffering then I see no good reason against that. The problem is still the killing part. I take it that no animal wants to die, correct? You're equivocating slaughtering of animals with euthanasia. Euthanasia is done to avoid an inevitably painful death. If you have captive animals that are well cared for, a slow and painful death is not known to be inevitable especially if they're not old yet.

There's also the issue of consent. Euthanasia is thought to be acceptable if the person to be euthanized gives consent. Animals can't give consent. This is why bestiality is immoral. The animal can't give consent to have sex with one of us.

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So, if a superior alien race came to earth, would it be ethical for them to eat us?

No it would not be ethical for them to eat us but it might be ethical for us to eat them.