Equal… Or Not
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Mark Krikorian makes some sense in his opinion piece reaction to Ezra Klein’s Washington Post article. Krikorian says:
“I think we do eat too much meat, and salt, sugar, and fat, because our species evolved to crave these once rare elements of our diet which are now abundant.” [...] “animals, while lacking ‘rights,’ are not inanimate objects we can use with impunity as industrial inputs”
But then Krikorian’s true colors show when he makes absurd claims about veganism and vegans:
“But vegetarianism and veganism are not only not virtuous, they’re immoral, based as they are on the principle that animals are morally equivalent to humans.”
Did you catch that? He claims veganism is immoral. That is, he says that the practice of abstaining from animal products is immoral. He says veganism is immoral because he claims that veganism requires the belief that animals are morally equivalent to humans. He doesn’t back it up with evidence and he doesn’t explain exactly why moral equivalency between humans and animals is wrong. He just asserts it as fact.
Here are the real facts: Some vegans believe that all animals are equal, both human and non. But plenty of vegans don’t. There is NO requirement that to be a vegan means you must believe nonhuman animals are morally equivalent to humans. None. Krikorian just made that up.
There’s certainly no requirement that in order to eat like a vegan, you must think like one. In my opinion, veganism is more about the practice of abstaining from the consumption of animal products than it is an adoption of any one specific belief. This is particularly so because many nonvegans already have one of these beliefs below, they just don’t eat like they do. But also because I’ve met many varied vegans who give all kinds of reasons for their veganism.
In fact, I made this point in my first real post here at Vegan Soapbox where I wrote:
The belief that humans and animals are equal is not necessary for the belief that ethical veganism is superior to omnivorism. All that’s required is a belief that animals and humans are equivalently entitled to exist without externally imposed unnecessary suffering, not that they’re actually, technically equal.
One can take the belief further, if they wish, as I do. But they don’t have to. The simple belief that non-human animals are entitled to exist without externally imposed unnecessary suffering is sufficient for ethical veganism.
In another post (and also a video) I’ve explained that various beliefs are sufficient for vegansim. Here are a few different reasons for veganism:
1. Animals should not suffer unnecessarily. Since it’s unnecessary for humans to eat animal products, and since the production of animal-based foods involves tremendous suffering, there’s no reason animals should become food for humans.
2. Even if one believes it’s morally acceptable for animals to suffer unnecessarily, we should at least consider animals’ interests in not suffering and weigh their interests against humans’ interests in making animals suffer.
3. Whether or not one believes in a rights-based approach or a utilitarian-based approach, one could simply believe that animals are not resources for humans to exploit. Just as some people view all of nature as something precious that we ought to be good “stewards” and care for, they view animals the same way. Animals are not machines.
4. In an objectivist or libertarian perspective, one might simply value animals lives personally. They simply prioritize animals lives above most human justifications for animal exploitation. Or they might have an interest in preventing animal suffering. Veganism satisfies that human interest. (Of course, there are plenty of other libertarian justifications for veganism available, too.)
5. Lastly, one need not believe in any kind of animal rights principle in order to eat a plant-based diet. One could act as a vegan for purely health or environmental reasons.
Simply put, veganism may be an expression of mercy, compassion, respect, concern, empathy, justice, liberty, or value with or without equality.
Thanks for this post Elaine!
Given that the interests of nonhuman animals are so radically discounted…that we routinely sacrifice their most fundamental interests for the sake of satisfying our most trivial interests…veganism does not require the belief that nonhumans are morally equivalent to humans and should be treated equally.
The belief in equality may have to be defended if the interests in question were very close…but they are not.
All that is required is that nonhuman lives and interests matter morally to some non-negligible extent in order for veganism to be, not just virtuous, but morally obligatory.
I was curious about Krikorian’s use of the term “immoral”. I looked up several definitions of the term and nowhere did I see anything that automatically sets humans above animals in the moral world. He has simply developed that belief for himself, or with the help of some religion.
You are right, of course, to focus on the simple falsity of his belief that all vegans believe animals and humans are morally equivalent.
I absolutely don’t agree that veganism is merely a diet. So you’re telling me that you can now be vegan and wear fur, as long as you believe fur is good for environment or good for your health? If according to you veganism is just a diet, then there are surely infinite reasons to follow it, and those very reasons may be reason enough to continue exploiting animals. I have read ethnographic studies of veganism that just completely fall apart because the ethnographer assumes that veganism is just a diet. The last one I read claims that “veganism is a cultural movement, not a political one.” It’s just completely misinformed.
Louche,
Vegan: person who seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.
Veganism is MORE about practice than belief.
If you’ve met a number of vegans, you’ll quickly realize how different their beliefs are. They ACT similarly by NOT eating animals, NOT wearing animals, etc. But they think differently.
For me… it gets down to a basic belief that it is wrong to “steal”. Wrong to take something which is not mine. We each get one life. It belongs to us and should be free from the threat of theft. Anyone who willingly kills another takes something which is not his. Stealing is immoral.
Veganism is like atheism. Atheists do not believe that the existence of god is of a high enough probability to take seriously. But that tells you nothing of their politics, tastes in music, favorite color, etc.
I happen to be a vegan who believes that animals are actually superior to humans. I think humans are by and large a bunch of a$$holes. I’ve never met an animal that I would call an a$$hole.