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The ethical implications of being a vegetarian
The ethical implications of being a vegetarian
Vegetarianism - the moral debate
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I. Thesis & Definition
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the trend of vegetarianism and its steady increase in popularity in the United States, the possible causes behind the existence of this trend, its effects on our general society and the practicing population, and finally, the future of vegetarianism. For the purpose of this paper vegetarianism is described as a plant-based diet (fruits, vegetables, etc), though the most important factor being the total exclusion of meat, not including fish for most practitioners. While numerous sub-levels of this lifestyle exist, including veganism (abstaining from the use of all animal products) and semi-vegetarianism (a person cutting back on meat intake), this study will focus mainly on lacto-ovo-vegetarianism (barring all meat and fish, but incorporating eggs and dairy products).
II. Proof of the Trend
Despite the fact that the vegetarian lifestyle has existed since approximately the sixth century BCE, it is a relatively new practice in the United States, having gained significant popularity during the “health craze” of the 1970s and early 1980s. Beginning with the 1971 publication of Frances Moore Lappe’s “high protein meat-less cooking” bestseller Diet for a Small Planet, vegetarianism steadily formed a reputation as being both a healthy and ethical alternative to meat-eating. The moral argument for vegetarianism was introduced with the release of the book, Animal Liberation by Australian ethics professor Peter Singer, to American readers. Soon after the uproar caused by Singer’s cry for human-animal equality came the creation of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, in 1975. From PETA’s conception, the organization has
called for equality and an increase...
... middle of paper ...
...iets" Eatright.org. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2009. Web. 15 Jan. 2012.
Rohrer, Finlo. "The Rise of the Non-Veggie Vegetarian" BBC News. BBC News, 5 Nov. 2009. Web. 9 Jan. 2012.
Segelken, Roger. "U.S. Could Feed 800 Million People with Grain That Livestock Eat, Cornell Ecologist Advises Animal Scientists Future Water and Energy Shortages Predicted to Change Face of American Agriculture." News.cornell.edu. Cornell University, 7 Aug. 1997. Web. 17 Jan. 2012.
Singer, Peter. Animal Liberation. New York, NY: New York Review of, 1990. Print.
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"Veggie Tales" Time.com. Time Magazine, 2002. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.
Whorton, James C. "Historical Development of Vegetarianism" Ajcn.org. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1994. Web. 6 Jan. 2012.
The argumentative article “More Pros than Cons in a Meat-Free Life” authored by Marjorie Lee Garretson was published in the student newspaper of the University of Mississippi in April 2010. In Garretson’s article, she said that a vegetarian lifestyle is the healthy life choice and how many people don’t know how the environment is affected by their eating habits. She argues how the animal factory farms mistreat the animals in an inhumane way in order to be sources of food. Although, she did not really achieve the aim she wants it for this article, she did not do a good job in trying to convince most of the readers to become vegetarian because of her writing style and the lack of information of vegetarian
The food industry is in a state of necessary revolution, for obesity rates seem to be rising exponentially, counties striving to develop have hit lack-of-food road blocks, and massive animal farms produce threats such as unethical treatment of animals and food-borne pathogen spikes. With these dilemmas revolving around the food world, it is natural for one to ponder, “Are human’s inherently omnivorous, eating both animal and plant based products, or were we suppose to be receiving nutrients solely from a vegetarian diet?” Kathy Freston, author of The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple!) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss, discusses her viewpoint surrounding the dilemma by writing “Shattering the Meat Myth: Humans are Natural Vegetarians.” Freston’s answer to the questions presented above
Corliss, Richard. “Should We All Be Vegetarians?” Time. Time Inc., 15 Jul. 2002. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.
As believed, vegetarianism had been originally founded in ancient India and was generally formed on ethical and moral issues. There were two religions that were the first ones who accepted vegetarianism. Hinduism made a cow a sacred animal. Over the time, there were other reasons founded by Hindus that encourage them to be vegetarians: Ahimsa principle that obliges not to injure a living creature, a fear of negative karmic impact and dietary purity. Since there was no religious law prohibiting the consummation of meat, the strong commitment to vegetarianism was based mostly on moral reasons. Buddhism had distinctive reasons for supporting vegetarianism. One of them is the first precept that tells not to kill any living organism. In addition to prohibition of killing, there was also a requirement not to participate in the murder and not to be the cause of death of a living creature. However, there was an amendment that if the animal is already dead and the man did not kill him specifically ...
Every day across America millions of people wake up to start their morning. Throughout the day the vast majority of these people will consume meat, but 3% will replace the pig, cow, and chicken products for vegetable or fruit made meals (Harris). These vegetarians all have many different reasons to make this choice. This decision is a huge change in one’s life and is not without questions. Some people may wonder why would anyone abstain from the amazing food that contains meat. This essay will briefly explain the history of vegetarianism, the reasons for vegetarianism, and answer questions about vegetarianism. Vegetarian diets are all around better than diets containing meat because of three main reasons; the abuse of animals, the environmental damage, and the health benefits for humans.
"Russell: Defending Vegetarianism: Rebuttals to Common Arguments." The Pitt News. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. .
Spencer, Colin. The Heretic's Feast: A History of Vegetarianism. Hanover, NH: U of New England, 1996. Print.
Society has recently become increasingly obsessed with health and nutrition, as more and more individuals realize that they can dramatically change their quality of life by adjusting their diet and lifestyle. One way that people have tried to pursue a healthier lifestyle, is by removing meat and other animal products from their diets, whether they become a strict vegetarian who eats no animal byproducts, or a lacto-ovo vegetarian who still eats eggs and dairy. As with any other lifestyle, research is always being done to see if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and so far, the results of vegetarian diets have been encouraging. Vegetarian diets have proven to decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, and many other health problems. With a little planning and dedication, a vegetarian diet will be healthier and more beneficial than a traditional diet
Pimentel, David. “U.S. could feed 800 million people with grain that livestock eat, Cornell ecologist advises animal scientists” Cornell Chronicle. Cornell University. 7 Aug. 1997. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Rachels, J. (2013). The Moral Argument for Vegetarianism. In L. Vaughn, Contemporary Moral Arguments - Readings in Ethical Issues Second Edition (pp. 617-622). New York: Oxford University Press.
In October of last year I finally became a vegetarian, meaning that I chose to not eat meat products anymore. Technically, I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian because I do eat eggs (ovo-) and milk (lacto-) on occasion and not a vegan-one who doesn't eat any animal products. My first year as a vegetarian has been very revealing. Since adopting this new identity, I have learned a lot about myself as well as others. Here I write about why I am a vegetarian and what I have learned since becoming one. In doing so, I hope to dispel some misunderstandings about vegetarians and to reveal some unappreciated aspects about what it takes to become and remain a vegetarian. Please understand that I speak for one vegetarian and not for vegetarians in general.
Society has recently become increasingly obsessed with health and nutrition, as more and more individuals realize that they can dramatically change their quality of life by adjusting their diet and lifestyle. One such way that people have tried to pursue a healthier lifestyle, is by removing meat and other animal products from their diets, whether they become a strict vegetarian who eats no animal byproducts, or a lacto-ovo vegetarian who still eats eggs and dairy. As with any other lifestyle, research is always being done to see if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and so far, the results of vegetarian diets have been encouraging. Vegetarian diets have proven to decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, and many other health problems. With a little planning and dedication, a vegetarian diet will be healthier and more beneficial than a traditional diet that includes meat and animal products.
For several years the issue of eating meat has been a great concern to all types of people all over the world. In many different societies controversy has began to arise over the morality of eating meat from animals. A lot of the reasons for not eating meat have to deal with religious affiliations, personal health, animal rights, and concern about the environment. Vegetarians have a greater way of expressing meats negative effects on the human body whereas meat eaters have close to no evidence of meat eating being a positive effect on the human body. Being a vegetarian is more beneficial for human beings because of health reasons, environmental issues, and animal rights.
As we can now observe, vegetarianism has become something fashionable, and the number of people who reject eating meat is constantly increasing. In Britain, for instance, over 5 million people have done it so far. It is obviously connected with the recent animal diseases, but this tendency is likely to spread on the other regions of the world. However, it is not only a fashion or fear of illnesses. I myself became a vegetarian about 2 years ago, and I can see a number of reasons why people should stop eating meat. They are mainly of ethic, economic and health type. Those who think in an ecological way should also be aware of how this meat consumption ruins our environment. I don’t have an intention to force anybody to become a vegetarian, but I hope that my argumentation would be strong enough to make some people think about it, at least. In this essay I will try to present this point of view, expressing my personal feelings and showing scientific facts about the problem.
Albert Einstein said, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” Nowadays, a growing number of vegetarians has been showed in many studies, such as a poll started by a nonprofit organization named Vegetarian Resource Group. It showed that United States has 6-8 million adults who do not eat poultry, meat, or fish (“Becoming a Vegetarian”, 2009, pp4). Much more people choose to be a vegetarian because it is more flexible than before, which means that vegetarians have more choice to combine a healthy lifestyle and high quality of life together. Food products like quinoa and fake meat are available for most people. Moreover, restaurants, schools, and hospitals are friendlier to vegetarians with some special offers. In addition to this, an iPhone APP named Vegetarian Scanner can alert people that the food contains meat (DeVries, 2012, pp41).