In the Vedas, the earliest of Hindu scriptures, there is a reference
to animals being an important part in religious ceremony. There are
also references of cows in the hymns. The cow was a sacrificial animal
which was appreciated for its role in offerings to the gods. Hindus
believed that the person, who offers a cow, would gain immediate
ascension to heaven, so the cow must be holy and important. Around the
time the Vedas were written cows were regarded as a great prize. It
had a high value and was the source of many useful products such as
milk, cheese and meat. It was also thought to protect Brahman.
Ahimsa however was only introduced around the 6th Centaury BCE, by
Mahavira the Jain. It gradually increased in popularity amongst
Hindus. Nowadays one could say the cow is like a domestic animal in
India. They are permitted to roam freely around the streets and they
are cared for in temples. A westerner would never think of eating his
dog or cat, so a Hindu would never dream of eating a cow. In villages
in India, the cow nurtures and sustains life. Its milk provides
essential food; its manure provides fuel, heat and light in the home.
The cow's urine is alleged to have special healing properties and is
available as a cream or liquid.
Gandhi said that the cow was a symbol of Hinduism. As most Hindus are
vegetarian, they believe in total respect to all living creatures. It
has a very important role in India's village life. The bulls (male
cows) are used to pull along carts, plough fields and make grain into
flower, which are all essential to life in a village. One bull and cow
is enough to do all the work and supply enough food for more than one
family. Hindus protect cows and other animals because of the teaching
of Ahimsa. They believe all animals have the right to live their
natural life span. As the cow is so scared to Hindus they have special
'retirement homes' called 'Goshallas' where they can rest and be cared
In this paper I will look at the argument made by James Rachels in his paper, The Moral Argument for Vegetarianism supporting the view that humans should be vegetarians on moral grounds. I will first outline the basis of Rachels’ argument supporting vegetarianism and his moral objection to using animals as a food source and critique whether it is a good argument. Secondly, I will look at some critiques of this kind of moral argument presented by R. G. Frey in his article, Moral Vegetarianism and the Argument from Pain and Suffering. Finally, I will show why I support the argument made by Frey and why I feel it is the stronger of the two arguments and why I support it.
When is it ever morally permissible for human beings to kill and eat animals? This is a question in which its answers have been argued since the early period of stoic philosophy up to now with the “rights view.” Known philosophers, Tom Regan and Epictetus use two different moral theories to defend what is morally permissible. Tom Regan uses the “rights view” moral theory to overcome a situation where our moral obligations have to be overridden making it morally permissible to kill and sometimes eat animals. Epictetus’ stoic philosophy argues that Providence gives nonhuman animals to rational human animals (to do what they wish) making it morally permissible for human beings to kill and eat animals in accordance with nature.
Is it possible to be an ethical meat-eater? Well, in my opinion, it is not ethical. There are many animals that suffer in the process of being slaughtered. Federal law requires mammals be stunned prior to slaughter. Typically, electric current is used to induce a heart attack or seizure. Then a captive bolt gun is used to deliver a blow to the skull or to shoot a rod into the animal’s brain. Eating meat is not ethical; animals suffer, they are tortured, because there are not enough Federal regulations protecting the animals, and there are environmental issues, as well as the health issues concerning the consumption of meat.
Is it morally permissible to eat meat? Much argument has arisen in the current society on whether it is morally permissible to eat meat. Many virtuous fruitarians and the other meat eating societies have been arguing about the ethics of eating meat (which results from killing animals). The important part of the dispute is based on the animal welfare, nutrition value from meat, convenience, and affordability of meat-based foods compared to vegetable-based foods and other factors like environmental moral code, culture, and religion. All these points are important in justifying whether humans are morally right when choosing to eat meat. This paper will argue that it is morally impermissible to eat meat by focusing on the treatment of animals, the environmental argument, animal rights, pain, morals, religion, and the law.
Vegetarianism, or at least the idea of it, which includes everything from Lacto-ovo-vegetarian to veganism, has existed for quite a long time. There is record of people abstaining from eating meat and flesh well before the Christian Era, and although not as widely practiced it might have been easier to follow such a diet in that time in history. Veganism is the most strict and extreme version of vegetarianism; it was defined in 1944 and very similar to the way people of ancient times practiced it, but with more restrictions due to more food options and more emphasis on ethical concerns. If one was to examine veganism today they would see an extremely disputed practice in terms of what is acceptable to consume according to ethics, health ideas, and the different levels of veganism. The opposition comes from less strict vegetarians and non-vegetarians, it’s the idea that veganism is not the healthier diet to practice, but that a balanced, well rounded diet might actually be more beneficial to one’s health and longevity. More importantly the ethical claim made by people who practice vegan diets isn’t as ethically sound as it’s made out to be. This research paper will examine the different types of vegetarians, specifically people who classify themselves as vegans and raw vegans, the ideas and ethics behind their lifestyle and why they fall short of what they claim, and reasons why practicing this diet may not be the better choice.
As believed, vegetarianism was originally founded in ancient India and was generally formed on ethical and moral issues. There were two religions that first accepted vegetarianism: Hinduism made the cow a sacred animal, something to be respected and admired, and over time, these ideals evolved from mere ideas to commonplace social practices. Ahimsa is the principle that...
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.
I will first look at the views of Peter Singer, who is a utilitarian. A
If a plant based diet has all the nutrients an omnivore diet has, why are we still eating meat? Many say that it’s easy to be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, but a well-planned vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients and more. Vegetarianism not only is beneficial to your health, but to the environment too.
While there are arguments that support the idea that being a vegetarian can bring good changes to their life, there are also arguments that aid the contrary. Vegetarianism had brought negative effects to vegetarian such as some health issues and it is difficult for the vegetarians to eat outside.
...servants of the household would stop drinking the milk of the cow thinking it would avert contamination of the devil into the household. Due to the poor digging up animal carcasses and eating them, it later became mandatory to burn the animal carcass at a stake (Liliequist 72).
In today’s fast-paced, modern and practical society people are becoming more health conscious. This includes trying to choose the best available options for a beneficial lifestyle. Exotic Greek salads, fresh fruit juices, delicate tofu preparation, smelly grilled vegetables, creamy grains soups, moisten carve soufflés, and so much more are common elections for meals for many people. They are becoming more concerned these days about the increasing health risks of a meat-based diet. On the other hand, others have taken a step further and believed that animal cruelty involved in killing animals and using them for their products is inhumane and should be outlawed. Since meat-eating has been an accepted part of the human diet across the spectrum of many civilizations for millions of years, a controversy emerges between those who want to be banned the use of animal products and those who enjoy a steak now and then. Should people consider becoming a vegan?
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.
A person that is vegetarian does not eat meat from any type of animal, and that includes seafood, but they can eat cheese, eggs and milk. “About 3% of U.S. adults are considered full-fledged vegetarians”.(Hellmich 4). When people think of vegetarians, they think about weak little hippie girls, and they 're all about world peace. Some things might be true, but the majority is so unbelievably untrue. When other people think about Vegetarians they mostly think of healthy people which is true. They respect the earth more than meat eaters. Also, vegetarian caring about the environment as well, which I 'm going to talk about later. Caring for the environment is an uncommon way of life which vegetarian lives by. Some reasons why vegetarians turn vegetarian is that they want to save animals. Other reason is that they want to save the environment because the majority doesn 't care for it. Vegetarianism is good for many reasons for; instance a person’s health, ethics, and religious beliefs