“My Taste Buds Overpower My Moral Intuition”
Every now and then meat-eaters confess and try to get honest:
“Maybe if there was a slaughterhouse next door I would be shocked into abstaining, but to be honest I am just too separated from the atrocities. When a delicious filet mignon is already resting on my plate my taste buds always overpower my moral intuition.” wrote Kevin Padrez.
It isn’t often that meat-eaters admit they place a higher moral value upon their own unnecessary pleasure than they place upon animals’ lives. Ironically, though meat-eaters think meat tastes better than nonmeat alternatives, they’re actually lying to themselves. (source 1, source 2)
Full of excuses, meat-eaters tend to “justify” their behavior in virtually any way possible. Here’s a short list:
- “If those vegans weren’t so rude and mean I’d go vegan too.”
- “If vegans weren’t so self-righteous, I’d listen to them.”
- “If it were easier to go vegan, I would.”
- “If meat didn’t taste so good, I’d stop eating it.”
And here are some responses:
- True, some vegans are rude and mean. What does that have to do with you? What does that have to do with animals, the environment, and your health? It’s not relevant. Sounds like you’re staying a meat-eater out of spite. And well, that’s pretty mean.
- You don’t have to listen to any vegan if you don’t want to. Just listen to your own conscience. You know what the right thing to do is. You know you shouldn’t eat animal products.
- Any new lifestyle takes adjustment and seems difficult in the beginning, but once you learn how to live like a vegan, you’ll find it’s a lot easier than living with the guilt of being an omnivore.
- I’ve heard human flesh tastes like chicken. If you knew human meat tasted good, I’m sure you could refrain from eating it. Once you go vegan, you’ll find that vegan foods taste just as good or better than meat and dairy. You’ll learn you can live happily and tastily without eating animals.
I still think what underlies Mr. Padrez’s argument is the implied assumption of human supremacy; an evolutionary right to treat nonhumans instrumentally for humans’ ends. The “moral intuition” claim, I believe, is almost done in a condescending manner because I, in fact, don’t believe his moral intuition pulls him away from forcing a nonhuman to suffer tremendously for his trivial desire to taste his/her body parts. But perhaps it is honesty.
~ Recent blog post: A "gestalt shift" at http://www.not-quiteright.net/tvg ~
I think you’re absolutely right that his tone and his argumentation assume the untrue premise of human supremacy. However, I also think that his article is compelling for those who believe in human supremacy. He offers plenty of good reasons to go vegan:
I shared it here because of its compelling nature and because I think he is being honest. He doesn’t think it’s right to treat animals the way they’re treated in industrial agriculture. And he believes in God and thinks veg*nism is a sacrifice (for lent) and thus a moral act. I believe him when he calls this his moral intuition.
I disagree with his premises. Personally, I’m atheist. Moreover, I don’t believe in human supremacy.
However, given Padrez’s premises, his logic is valid. If I shared his perspective of the world, I would likely come to similar conclusions about animals and veg*nism.
This is why I focused on the major issue that he used to justify his actions: taste. He claimed that:
In fact, studies have shown that taste is so subjective that it belies the assumption of human supremacy. A preference for the taste of meat is a physical manifestation of cultural and philosophical/ religious baggage, not an empirically valid fact.
One of his central premises is untrue, thus his entire argument crumbles. And I didn’t have to attack his fundamental belief in God or even his assumption of human supremacy in order to get there, I simply had to use some sociological/ marketing studies
As for #1 I dare say 99.99999999% of all rude people are meat eaters. Plus, do people using that excuse use people’s rudeness in other areas of their life? Like they won’t shop somewhere cause one of the customers was rude? Please!
As for #4, I’ve used the cannibal line myself…it gets some shocked reactions. It is quite priceless
~ Recent blog post: Cast Your Ballots! at http://veganverve.wordpress.com ~
Personally, I hope veganism grows in proportion to carnivorism. It really isn’t that difficult, just more inconvinient. Just look at how much people love fast food restaurants. They don’t love the meat though, they love the taste, and the food just happens to be from animals. All I have to do is look into the eyes of these poor creatures when they are being harrased and finally executed to know that it is wrong and it is dragging down the human race while most people don’t even know it. Ignorance is bliss, but bliss is just an illusion.