Question: What changes need to be made so everyone can adopt a vegetarian/vegan diet?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
"Ought Implies Can": A Response to "The Basic Argument For Vegetarianism"
In James Rachels' article, "The Basic Argument For Vegetarianism", he says that we should adopt a vegetarian diet because there is no real reason to eat meat; we can survive without it. He implies that the only reason people aren't ethical vegetarians is because they like the way meat tastes. Rachels is overlooking many people who do not have food security. Food security is when food is available and accessible to you. While buying vegetables may be cheaper than buying meat, to carefully plan out a diet that includes protein and iron from other sources takes time, knowledge, and probably more money. As Kathryn Paxton George points out in "A Paradox of Ethical Vegetarianism", not everybody has access to or can afford dietary supplements. Also, people are more likely to become an ethical vegetarian when they have access to knowledge about the way their food is made. Not everybody is privileged enough to go to college, or even finish high school. Because not all people have the same education level, not everybody is enlightened about the cruel ways animals are made into meat. So, people might not be able to be an ethical vegetarian because they 1) don't have access to all the foods/supplements necessary for a vegetarian diet and 2) don't have access to the knowledge that leads people to become ethical vegetarians. Rachels, and many other people who propose that everybody should adopt a vegetarian diet, are assuming that everybody can. Vegetarianism and veganism are lifestyles. It is an ethical decision to stop eating/using animal products but it also dictates the way a person will live. Since not all people have the same resources, it is unfair to assume that all people are capable of living their life a certain way.
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