In chapter 17 of Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, entitled “The Ethics of Eating Animals,” Pollan explores why people eat vegetarian. In the first section, Pollan reads an animal rights book while eating a steak. It is the day before his steer is supposed to be slaughtered. Through reading, Pollan decides that he needs to become vegetarian to decide if eating meat is the right thing to do. He feels he cannot be impartial while still eating meat. Once vegetarian, Pollan explores why people choose to stop eating meat and how vegetarians justify their choice. One reason why people go vegetarian is that they believe that eating meat makes them a speciesest, being humans are superior only because they are humans. There are many reasons why Pollan says people choose to be vegetarian.
In this chapter, Pollan also explores the dilemmas of being vegetarian. What animals can he justify eating? Do milk and egg production really hurt cows and chickens? How can a filling meal be made? And going along with these questions, Pollan explores the notion of animal happiness vs. animal suffering. Pollan says many vegetarians can convert to carnivorism when they see animals that are raised in good conditions, like those at the Polyface farm. Pollan feels that the vegetarian question has only been brought to light because people have lost touch with animals. Up until the past couple years, people could see animals being raised on farms and were able to appreciate the animals and their sacrifice. Many people now want our food to look as unanimal-like as possible and prefer not to think about where our food comes from.
I feel that I definitely fall into the category of not wanting to think about where our meat comes from. I choose not to eat meat with bones because it reminds me that the animal was once alive. But this chapter posed new ideas that challenged my views. It was very interesting to think about how we used to view our animals and appreciate them for their sacrifice. Our culture has completely changed. I think if we returned to the whole system, people would have no problems eating their animals. I have always wondered how farmers were able to eat their own animals, but after reading, I think this is why. They appreciate the animals that they raise and appreciate their sacrifice. For many vegetarians, as long as animals were treated alright, they have a hard time justifying why they can’t eat them. Pollan’s chapter on vegetarianism brought up many interesting ideas.
1. Would vegetarianism still exist if people were more connected to their meat?
2. Will vegetarianism decline as America moves more toward small farms that treat their animals humanely?
Those are some great questions! To expand upon question one, do you think that people really did sacrifice animals to appreciate them? Or was that just a reason not to feel the guilt of killing an innocent animal? Currently, the fact that you can't eat meat with bones in it, the fact that there are vegetarians, and the fact that there are many debates out there makes me believe that maybe we just don't have a reason to not feel guilty. If we did have a connection to our meat, sure, there would be less vegetarianism. However, I think the real reason that would occur is just because we have an excuse not to feel bad about it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your second question. To be honest, I never even thought about that! As mentioned in class many times, America's move toward small farms will be a lengthy process. I may be speaking too soon, but I do think vegetarianism will decline. For one, the inhumanity of animals is the key to why many turn vegetarian. And two, meat consumption is growing at very high rates. Unfortunately, I see America's desire for meat to only keep increasing.
ReplyDeleteI think your statement in your last paragraph is extremely interesting. We rarely acknowledge where our food is from, and instead we just eat the food. We take more time deciding many other less important things such as choosing decorations for our house. I agree with your idea that if even vegetarians knew that if while the animals were being slaughtered they felt no pain, they would have a difficult time justifying why eating these animals is bad. Meat-eating has become so common place in our society, and we have started to take for granted the surplus of meat we are supplied with every day.
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