In no way am I suggesting anything by the question, it's just something that occurred to me while reading some posts here. The definition for veganism observes that vegans dispense with animal products in their choices of food, textiles etc. It doesn't directly say that eating animals is wrong, yet I think most serious vegans/advocates would say using and eating animals is actually morally wrong. But is something really morally wrong when we abstain from doing that something only whenever it's practicable to do so?
What if it turns out that eating animals is not wrong at all? I was thinking on this and one thing is clear - we have always eaten animals, and we may have to again in the future if things go badly for our civilisation. Doesn't it seem more likely that eating animals is only wrong when there are alternatives - it's a contingent wrong? Maybe even then it isn't directly wrong but more of a consequence of treating other animals unjustly?
To put that in a nutshell, what is wrong is using other animals as mere means, rather than as ends in themselves. Making animals property and assigning them to the class of things is what we do wrong, not so much eating them or using them. On that view, hunter-gatherers who hunt animals for food and eat them are not doing moral wrongs. The animals are free beings, living as somewhat equal partners in the endeavour of life. On the other hand, someone in a modern country is doing wrong when they support the massive industries that treat other species unjustly.
What if it turns out that eating animals is not wrong at all? I was thinking on this and one thing is clear - we have always eaten animals, and we may have to again in the future if things go badly for our civilisation. Doesn't it seem more likely that eating animals is only wrong when there are alternatives - it's a contingent wrong? Maybe even then it isn't directly wrong but more of a consequence of treating other animals unjustly?
To put that in a nutshell, what is wrong is using other animals as mere means, rather than as ends in themselves. Making animals property and assigning them to the class of things is what we do wrong, not so much eating them or using them. On that view, hunter-gatherers who hunt animals for food and eat them are not doing moral wrongs. The animals are free beings, living as somewhat equal partners in the endeavour of life. On the other hand, someone in a modern country is doing wrong when they support the massive industries that treat other species unjustly.