From: Greg Jordan (jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu)
Date: Tue Apr 29 2003 - 17:01:42 MDT
On Tue, 29 Apr 2003, gts wrote:
> Do you have any theoretical argument that a vegetarian diet is best for
> people in general given that lean, natural wild game and range-fed meats are
> commercially available through mail order? Or is your dietary choice merely
> a matter of personal taste with no underlying theory?
There's nothing very "theoretical" about a diet that gets animals
violently murdered in order to satisfy the needs of a human who doesn't
*need* to eat meat. And do you mail order all your meat? Sounds like it
requires as much effort as vegetarianism, if not more.
> I've seen only two theoretical arguments for vegetarianism: 1) the argument
> that humans have a moral obligation to minimize suffering in the world,
> including the suffering of animals, and 2) the argument that humans are best
> genetically adapted to a diet limited only to plant foods. Many vegetarians
> embrace both arguments. I object to 1) mainly on philosophical grounds and
> to 2) mainly on scientific grounds.
I do not believe in morality, but I have an aesthetic appreciation for
animals, not just as a class, but as individuals. It's a definite lift for
me to know animals are getting along well, and it's a tragedy when one is
lost unnecessarily, by something I did and could easily have avoided. It's
not so much about minimizing suffering as maximizing happiness. Nature
already kills and tortures animals every day - including humans - but
humans have the capacity, rarely used, to empathize with others, including
animals. This empathy is a plus, an expansion of potential happiness.
Humans seem to have evolved as omnvivores - neither carniverous nor
herbiverous. We seem to have made a small step toward obligatory
carnivore, losing the the ability to manufacture b12, but the choice is
still ours, with b12 supplements readily available, and ethical egg and
dairy sources. In the future we could probably fix this amino acid problem
genetically, and take on new energy sources too while we are at it. But
vegetarianism can't be unhealthy - endless generations of veggie Hindus
have made out alright.
*waiting for chlorophyl options*
gej
resourcesoftheworld.org
jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu
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