Analysis Of An Animal's Place By Michael Pollan

880 Words2 Pages

No one will disagree that livestock industry in America has its flaws in the processes in which we treat animals before they are slaughtered. The industry is littered with inhumane practices still being used on livestock. The overcrowding of cattle and trimming the beaks off of chickens to prevent them from harming each other are common practice in the factory based livestock farming. I’m not here to argue that these practices are morally correct, only that they are a necessary evil. I’m arguing that converting all of the livestock industry in the United States from factory meat farming to free range farming techniques would have a significant negative impact on the United States economy as well as the wellbeing of the American citizen. …show more content…

He describes the factories as “places where the subtleties of moral philosophy and animal cognition mean less than nothing”(405). His arguments about the morals of the ways we should treat animals, provokes the feelings of guilt and empathy for the reader, which makes his essay a strong argumentative piece of literature. Pollan makes strong points, backed of with evidence, regarding the minds of animals and their ability to feel pain and suffering on not only a physical level, but on an emotional level. The major weakness of his argument is that it mainly deals with the moral dilemma of mistreatment of animals with in factory slaughterhouse and for the most part ignores the economic consequences of free range livestock. Big company slaughterhouses don’t just immorally treat animals for the fun of it but rather as a way to meet the high level demand of the American people while keep prices low enough for them to …show more content…

The middle class individual will be to change his habits to adapt to the changing environment due to his flexible income. But what happens to the lower class or even the individuals who fall below the poverty line. They can no longer afford the high prices of meat that are accompanied with the change in the way animals are treated. I know what your thinking, why don’t they just buy more vegetables and fruits instead of meat? Well if we apply the supply and demand theory to the impact of this moralistic change the answer will be evident. Let's say the prices of meat rises and people decided to switch their dietary habits and buy more fruits and vegetables. As the demand for fruits and vegetables increases the the supply will begin to decrease as more people purchase them. In response to the supply decrease business will be forced to increase the prices to ensure they stay profitable. So now the lower class Americans are no longer able to afford food like they used to and are now forced to go hungry or make sacrifices in other areas of their lives. So the real moralistic question is, whose life is more important the chicken who lives for a few months and is slaughtered or the impoverished child whose parents can no longer can afford to feed

Show More
Related

  • The Carnivores Dilemma, by Nicolette Hahn Niman

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    .... People do not have to become vegetarians, but people should consider other meat and food as alternatives. Ultimately, if a majority of people chose organic farms and foods it would put a heavy hit on the meat production business. People will be eating healthier, and they will be doing their healthy part in the ecosystem and that will help to lower greenhouse gas emissions and greatly improve treatment of animals. The prices of organic food just need to come down dramatically for people to buy it. Methane from liquid manure, nitrous oxide from manmade fertilizers, carbon dioxide from machines are why people have put themselves and animals into a dilemma and made it into a never-ending continuous cycle.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Social Animal By David Brooks

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    The term self-control, tends to be associated with behavior and emotions. Most would think of controlling behavior caused by emotion. They think of punching the wall because of anger, or not wanting to cry in public. In chapter 8 of the book “The Social Animal” by David Brooks. Brooks confronts misconceptions in the way people view self-control. Specifically, Brooks argues that self-control is more about what the mind gives attention too than about the controlling the emotion or action. Brooks uses the character of Erica and her tennis career to explain how to have self- control. Brooks explains, “She was reminding herself that she had a say in triggering which inner self would dominate her behavior. All she had to do was focus her attention

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Ag-Gag Laws

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every year worldwide, over seventy billion animals are killed for food in factories without the inclusion aquatic animals (“Factory Farms Overview¨). The animal rights movement began in Europe during the nineteenth century to protect horses, dogs and cats (Recarte 1). However, now modern animal rights groups have switched their focus to factory farms, test animals and the removal of ag-gag laws. The fight to create less painful and stressful environments in factories and the altogether removal of animal testing and ag-gag laws has been taken on by animal rights groups like ASPCA (“Factory Farms”). The biggest issue currently facing animals is factory farming.

    Read More

  • An Animal Place By Michael Pollan Summary

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pollan believes that American factory farms are places with technological sophistication, where animals are machines incapable of feeling pain (368). In other words, factory farms use plentiful of technology where they do not pay attention to animals feelings. For example, beef cattle who live outdoors are standing in their own waste, and factory farmers do not considered that wrong and unsanitary. Hurst alleges that “turkeys do walk around in their own waste, although they don’t seemed to mind”(5). This shows that factory farmers think that animals really don’t have feelings and really don’t care. Pollan also disagrees with industrial farming because he states that, “American industrial farms itself is redefined- as a protein production- and with it suffering” (369). He affirms this because industrial farming cages their animals. Interestingly, both authors believe that animals still die and suffer no matter what circumstances an animal is living. Pollan believes animals should be treated with respect and not be caged. On the other hand, Hurst asserts that “farmers do not cage their hogs because sadism, but because being crushed by your mother really is an awful way to go, as is being eaten by your mother”(6). So Hurst say that he cages animals to protect them. Also both authors believe that there needs to be ways to enrich the soil, so the farms can have bigger harvest, healthy plants, and keep cost down. However, Pollan believes that farmer should use compost. He states that “the finish compost will go to feed the grass;the grass, the cattle; the cattle , the chickens; and eventually all of the animals will feed us” (370). So he thinks compost is good for the farms. Hurst on the other hand, think manure and commercial fertilizer is good for the farms. Hurst spread poultry litter on pasture and this made cattle production possible in areas

    Read More

  • Meat Eating: On Eating Animals by Namit Arora

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the article, “On Eating Animals,” Namit Arora explains that for much of our settled history--and even today in parts of the world--most people lived in close proximity to farm animals. Animals fertilized our crops, shared our labors, and nourished our bodies, helping us enlarge our settled communities.” (Arora). Animals were once like a family member. People would tend to their animal’s needs and make sure they were well taken care of just like any other member of the family. We would give them names, show them at county fairs and make sure their living conditions were comfortable and as sanitary as possible. Further on in “on Eating Animals,” Arora explains that “In the twentieth century, the inexorable logic of modern economics and the assembly line turned farm animals into number-tagged bodies to be fattened, disinfected, and processed as quickly and cheaply as possible.” (Arora) This led to the factory farming of animal products that we still use today. The ASPCA defines factory farming as, “…a large, industrial operation that raises large numbers of animals for food.” They co...

    Read More

  • Final Essay: Animal Ethics in Animal Narratives

    1567 Words  | 4 Pages

    As I have progressed through this class, my already strong interest in animal ethics has grown substantially. The animal narratives that we have read for this course and their discussion have prompted me to think more deeply about mankind’s treatment of our fellow animals, including how my actions impact Earth’s countless other creatures. It is all too easy to separate one’s ethical perspective and personal philosophy from one’s actions, and so after coming to the conclusion that meat was not something that was worth killing for to me, I became a vegetarian. The trigger for this change (one that I had attempted before, I might add) was in the many stories of animal narratives and their inseparable discussion of the morality in how we treat animals. I will discuss the messages and lessons that the readings have presented on animal ethics, particularly in The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Dead Body and the Living Brain, Rachel in Love, My Friend the Pig, and It Was a Different Day When They Killed the Pig. These stories are particularly relevant to the topic of animal ethics and what constitutes moral treatment of animals, each carrying important lessons on different facets the vast subject of animal ethics.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Factory Farms

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over the past few decades, small and medium sized farms have been taken over by large-scale factory farms. These farms house billions of animals used for consumption each year. The conditions on factory farms are filthy, overcrowded and disease ridden. Animals forced to live out their lives on these farms are subject to extremely harsh conditions, such as mutilation, confinement and living spaces piled high with feces. Not only do conditions on factory farms make life for livestock absolutely miserable, but factory farms are also negatively impacting human health and the environment. The production and sale of meat has become a billion-dollar industry based upon the bloodshed of other sentient beings. With this being the case, at the very least, factory farms need to be properly regulated and companies involved need to be held accountable for their abuse.

    Read More

  • Norcross: Torturing Puppies And Eating Meat Summary

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, billions of animals endure intense suffering every year for precisely this end.” Norcross was referring to the animals in a factory farms that produce meat to sell in supermarkets. Norcross explains the factory farms animals live cramped and stress-filled lives. The animals also undergo mutilations without any anesthesia. In the end of the factory farms’ animal life, they’re butchered for the production of meat such as chicken, veal, beef and pork to sell for a profit in places such as a grocery store or

    Read More

  • Alastair Norcross: The Marginal Case

    1872 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alastair Norcross introduces a very controversial case. He compares the actions of Fred as being morally equal to factory farming. Norcross presents the Marginal case and the Analogy argument. There are many objections to his beliefs such as; the suffering of the puppies is intended as a means to Fred’s pleasure, whereas the suffering of factory raised animals is merely foreseen as a side effect of a system that is a means to the gustatory pleasure of millions. Also, the individual consumers lack the power to put an end to factory farming. And lastly, human beings have a greater moral status than nonhumans. (Norcross, 285) I disagree with Norcross’s statement saying that Fred’s behavior and that of people who consume factory-farmed meat is morally equivalent.

    Read More

  • Argument Against Vegetarianism In America

    140 Words  | 1 Pages

    As a result, individuals in America have extra income to spend on desired items and help the economy to maintain its economic advantage. An increase in food prices would affect everyone’s level of disposable income and would reduce consumer spending in other industries. Therefore, decreased consumer spending would cause companies to downsize and unemployment would increase. After evaluating the consequences of these regulations it is evident that the success of our economy in America is far more important than ethical treatment of meat.

    Read More

  • A Case For Eating Dogs By Jonathan Safran Foer Analysis

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Because of the animal lover’s nature of viewing the topic objectively, wherein they believe that all animals deserve equal rights, Foer’s excerpt, which mainly appeals to their logos and ethos has successfully fulfilled its purpose of stopping their consumption of meat. Foer’s description of meat eaters as a “selective carnivore” gives the audience a reflective imagery of themselves savagely eating dead animals like wild predators. The word “selective” does not make any difference, since “carnivore” already gives a strong negative connotation that makes them lose their appetite to eat meat. Name-calling is usually regarded as a propagandistic technique, but in this case, it makes the audience realize the meat eater’s double standards. It draws the audience closer to understand Foer’s implicit message and be persuaded by it. To appeal to the animal lover’s logic, Foer directs them to view the topic from different perspectives, which can be seen from his use of oxymoron “remarkably unremarkable” when comparing dogs to pigs in terms of their highly similar intellectua...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of An Animal Place By Michael Pollan

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Michael Pollan presents many convincing arguments that strengthen his position on whether slaughtering animals is ethical or not. He believes that every living being on this planet deserves an equal amount of respect regardless of it being an animal or human, after all humans are also animals. “An Animal’s place” by Michael Pollan is an opinionated piece that states his beliefs on whether animals should be slaughtered and killed to be someone’s meal or not. In his article, Pollan does not just state his opinions as a writer but also analyzes them from a reader’s point of view, thus answering any questions that the reader might raise. Although Pollan does consider killing and slaughtering of animals unethical, using environmental and ethical

    Read More

  • Factory Farming

    1338 Words  | 3 Pages

    Poultry is by far the number one meat consumed in America; it is versatile, relatively inexpensive compared to other meats, and most importantly it can be found in every grocery store through out the United States. All of those factors are made possible because of factory farming. Factory farming is the reason why consumers are able to purchase low-priced poultry in their local supermarket and also the reason why chickens and other animals are being seen as profit rather than living, breathing beings. So what is exactly is factory farming? According to Ben Macintyre, a writer and columnist of The Times, a British newspaper and a former chicken farm worker, he summed up the goal of any factory farm “... to produce the maximum quantity of edible meat, as fast and as cheaply as possible, regardless of quality, cruelty or hygiene” ( Macintyre, 2009). Factory farmers do not care about the safety of the consumers nor the safety of the chicken, all the industrial farmers have in mind are how fast they can turn a baby chick into a slaughter size chicken and how to make their chicken big and plumped. Factory farming is not only a health hazard to the well-being of the animals, but the environment, and human beings ;thus free range and sustainable farming need to be put into practice.

    Read More

  • Essay On Factory Farming

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cruelty toward animals, huge economic problems, and major health concerns are just three reasons why factory farming should be banned worldwide. Many people argue that factory farming is the only way to meet growing demands for food in the world today. However, factory farming is just not necessary, especially when it comes down to killing innocent animals in order to feed people. A way to put an end to the factory farming system is by buying our food from smaller, sustainable farms. These businesses still aim to profit from their labor, but that’s not their only objective. (The Issues: Factory Farming, n.d.) They simply will not sacrifice the health of the land or the quality of food simply to make a few extra dollars.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Eating Meat

    1598 Words  | 4 Pages

    Every person has the ability to make their own choice of whether to eat meat or not. However, eating meat is directly tied to negative health effects, pollution leading to a depletion of ozone, and the depletion of hundreds of thousands of acres of land “wasted” on animal production when they could be used to solve the hunger crisis or lower emission levels. What humans eat is no longer a matter of choice; it has become a matter of life and death. Literally, the future of the whole planet rests on the decision of whether or not to eat meat. If humans chose to eat less meat the world that wouldn’t have to suffer the consequences (outlined above.) Vegetarianism is one possibility, as is Veganism; however the world would be

    Read More

More about Analysis Of An Animal's Place By Michael Pollan

Open Document