Standard Arguments Against Veganism, Pt. 8

Sep 28, 2020

"You can’t expose a lie without first shattering the will to believe it. That is why leading people to truth is so much more effective than merely telling them."
-Neal Shusterman,
The Toll

1. Animals have no concept of death (& therefore can't fear dying)

Honestly, I don't know if that's true of every single species, but I'd argue that no one really has a concept of death. True, we have a fear of dying because it is an unknown experience to any living person, but we mostly have a will to survive. If someone is holding a gun to our heads, we would instinctually act to live, to fight back and save ourselves, and that isn't a drive exclusive to humanity. When a bunny darts away as you approach them, they're fleeing from potential danger; maybe they don't consciously think that you are going to kill them, but they have the intuition to know that you pose a threat to their safety.

Aside from that, since when does having a "concept of death" matter when choosing a victim? With humans, it's generally perceived to be even more horrendous to kill children, mentally disabled persons, or others who cannot defend themselves. They may not have a concept of death -- they may not even be able to fear their killer -- but that doesn't make it morally justifiable in any capacity. When you are choosing to take someone's life, it is abhorrent to ever try to use an attribute of the victim, whether it be true or not, to justify your own actions.

2. Eating animals for religion

There is no religion that mandates animals be eaten or abused. Though there are practices like halal and kosher slaughter, and traditions like Kaporos, these are more like guidelines and modern ideas as to how to treat animals if you are going to use them. In addition, animals used in religious practices are, arguably, more abused than typical farmed animals, as they must suffer longer at the time of their death.

Similar to the tradition argument that we should use animals because we have always used animals, using animals for religion has no place in modern society. Religions can evolve to become more compassionate and accepting of all lives and reject the hatred and violence committed by members of their flock.

And what kind of god would sanctify the abuses perpetrated by humans against nonhumans on this planet? How could any loving god allow some of his children to ritually murder his other children? In my mind, the exploitation of nonhuman animals is more aligned with the devil.

3. Humans created tools

Humanity is not the first or sole creator and utilizer of tools. Did you know that crocodiles sometimes carry sticks on their heads while underwater to get close to nesting birds?1 Though this may seem like a rudimentary form of camouflage, they are using elements of their environment to aid in their hunt for food, which, after all, is why we use tools in the first place.

But the major difference between us and crocodiles and other tool-using animals is that tools used by other animals aren’t essential to their survival, simply helpful or useful. A crocodile will still be able to quickly pounce on a bird without the use of sticks; they would just have to go about hunting that particular animal in a different way. Evolution would not have created modern humans to be completely dependent on our ability to dream up tools like bows and arrows, guns, traps, fishing rods, and other contraptions in order to get nutrition necessary for our survival. Without those tools, we are incapable of hunting on our own. Just because we have the ability to do certain things doesn't make those actions natural or right.

Nevertheless, we live in a modernized world where there's no need to hunt for survival. For better or worse, we live in a time of industrialized agriculture and food production, and we can use the tools available to us to farm plants instead of animals.

4. There are too many animals

Again, this excuse is blaming the victims as a justification for killing them, something we would never do with humans. (There are also too many humans on the planet, though our population pales in comparison to that of farmed animals, but no one's suggesting we "humanely slaughter" ourselves.) And the only reason there are so many farmed animals is because we have bred that many; if we stopped breeding them, they wouldn't exist anymore. In the wild, we are facing a sixth mass extinction, occurring faster than any other previous mass extinctions ever before, so the only animals there are "too many" of are animals we created.

Additionally, if there were somehow to be a mass release of farmed animals, there is little risk of overpopulation because almost all males are castrated, and because of genetic manipulation and selective breeding, the animals don't live long enough (or are too unhealthy) to reproduce.

5. Vegans are hipsters

This excuse doesn't blame the victims but blames the people protecting them. Imagine saying you'd rather be a sexist than be (perceived as) a hipster. Really, it just sounds silly. Why does it matter how other vegans identify themselves? Why are humans so concerned with how other humans choose to live their lives? As long as no one's hurting anyone else or themselves, it really isn't our business what other people do.

Vegans are more like modern-day hippies than hipsters, with our philosophy of peace and love, but instead of flower power, we're plant-powered. Regardless, you can wear what you want, act how you want, think how you want; as long as you're against animal oppression, then you can still be the same person you've always been. Veganism isn't just a phase, and the more vegans there are, the less legitimate this excuse will seem.

be conscious, be kind, be vegan

Source

[1] What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins by Dr. Jonathan Balcombe