The notion that we should not eat meat or any products, including
dairy and eggs, may appear to be radical and relative to our
prevailing norms of behavior, it certainly is so. But relative to what we say
we believe as a moral matter, it is not radical at all. In fact, when it comes
to animals, our thinking is characterized by significant degree confused and
delusional thinking, or what we call moral schizophrenia.
We all ostensibly accept the notion that it is morally wrong
to inflict unnecessary suffering on animals. This moral principle is embraced
by almost everyone and is so uncontroversial that it is embodied in the law of
most nations through anticruelty laws.[...]
There may, of course, be disputes about what constitutes
necessity but if this concept is to have any meaning whatsoever, it must rule
out the imposition of suffering and death on animals for reasons of pleasure,
amusement, or convenience. If these reasons are not excluded as justifications,
then the moral rule is without coherence. We can see this in the human context.[...]
The problem is that in the case of nonhuman animals, the
overwhelming portion of our animal use can only be justified by pleasure,
amusement, or convenience. Our most numerically significant use of animals is
for food. Humans kill an estimated 53 billion animals worldwide every year in
connection with the production of meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products.
This number does not include the billions more of fish and other aquatic
animals.
There is absolutely no necessity for this suffering and
death.[...]
