Animal Rights & Vegan Ethics
Made Appetizing
Carrie Packwood Freeman, PhD
Assistant Professor of Communication – GSU
Presentation Nov. 10, 2012 at Atlanta Veg Fest

Time to Share
Q: When people ask you why you
are veg(etari)an, do you mention
other animals in your rationale?
If so, what do you
briefly say?

Today We Will Be…
 Putting vegetarian ethics in context of animal
ethics (animal welfare and animal rights).
 Putting animal ethics in historical context of
Western philosophy.
WHY?
•To demonstrate ethical veganism has
strong cultural roots.
•To better define our own ethical
convictions (for our own sense of
moral integrity)
•To better communicate our ethical
rationales to others so we can speak
up for exploited animals & cultivate
more respectful worldviews (eating
someone is more than just a personal preference. It’s
a moral, political, and ecological issue)

My Talk will Cover…
Historical Western philosophies on
animal ethics and vegetarian ethics:
Ancient Greece, Scientific Revolution
(17th century), 18th & 19th century
Modern philosophies on animal rights
(vs. welfare) and eating animals:
Utilitarian, duty-based, feminist, and
legal.
Source of most historical
references along with Current strategy debates in farmed
Linzey & Clarke (2004) animal rights movement:
Welfare (farming reform) versus
abolition/rights (veganism)

Historical Views of Other Animals
Ancient Times (500 B.C.E – 300 C.E.)
 GREEK PHILOSOPHY:
 Pythagoras and Plato saw physical & spiritual
kinship between all animals. They
acknowledged animal emotion and reason.
Porphyry argued against their exploitation.
 But Aristotle saw nonhuman animals, women,
and some men as natural slaves.
 WESTERN RELIGION:
 Pagan religions often worshipped animals.
 But Judeo-Christianity, which was to become
the prevailing worldview, viewed humans as
dominant and separate. We have dominion.

Historical Views on
Vegetarianism
ANCIENT TIMES: Pythagoras, Plutarch, Porphyry
 Vegetarian writers of this era critiqued violence,
and often stated how the killing of animals for
food is unjust because it is a “luxury” not a
necessity. We aren’t carnivores.
 They also worried that human cruelty towards
other animals desensitizes people toward
cruelty to humans.
Vegetarians were known as
“Pythagoreans”
He said vegetarianism was a
“gentler nourishment” because
it required no “bloodshed.”

Historical Views on
Vegetarianism
Plutarch also
critiqued You call serpents and lions savage, but
some cruel you yourselves, by your own foul
farming slaughter, leave them no room to outdo
practices. you in cruelty; for their slaughter is
their living, yours is a mere appetizer.
…
But for the sake of some little mouthful
of flesh we deprive a soul of the sun
and light, and of that proportion of life
and time it had been born into the world
to enjoy.
Plutarch (56-120)

Historical Views on
Vegetarianism
Through the middle ages and the renaissance,
Christianity thwarted vegetarianism, but not for
Leonardo!
I have from an early age
abjured the use of meat,
and the time will come
when men such as I
will look upon
the murder of animals
as they now look upon
the murder of men.
Leonardo DaVinci
(1452 – 1519)

Historical Views of Other Animals
17th & Early 18th Centuries: Age of
Enlightenment & Scientific
Revolution
 Cartesianism: Scientist Rene Descartes
promoted mind/body dualism as
man/animal dualism. Animals are senseless
automata. This enabled vivisection and
limited discourse to welfare for centuries.
 Locke and Kant argued against using
humans as a means to an end, but it was
ethical to use nonhumans if it benefited
humans. Animal cruelty was deemed bad
because it made people inhumane to other
people.

Historical Views of Other Animals
18th – 19th Century
 Sentience: Utilitarians Bentham and
Mill, plus Schopenhauer, show concern
for nonhuman animal sentience. They
call for humane treatment and restriction
of animal use, but deem food and some
useful research still acceptable.
The day may come when the rest of the animal
creation may acquire those rights which never could
have been withheld from them but by the hand of
tyranny… The question is not can they reason, nor can
they talk, but can they suffer?
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)

Historical Views on
Vegetarianism
18th Century 19th Century
 In resistance to  Veg authors were often
Cartesianism, veg anthropocentric, but
authors defended animal they showed an
sentience. increasing concern for
 Other writings suffering by including
emphasized the idea vivid descriptions of
that flesh-eating does slaughterhouse violence.
not lead to a virtuous  Some writings have a
character. tone of pity for other
(Mandeville, Shelley) animals as weak victims
on whom humans
ASPCA founded in should bestow charity.
1866 by Bergh. (Tolstoy, Dr. William Alcott,
First conviction Thoreau, Dr. Anna
was a butcher. Kingsford)

Quotes from 19th century Chicago
Zoologist, J. Howard Moore
Critiqued human bias and exploitation as criminal.
“There is, in fact, but one great crime in the universe, and
most of the instances of terrestrial wrong-doing are instances
of this crime. It is the crime of exploitation – the considering
by some beings of themselves as ends, and of others as their
means – the refusal to recognize the equal, or the
approximately equal, rights of all to life and its legitimate
rewards – the crime of acting toward others as one would
that others would not act toward him.”
Moore referred to humans as the “butchers of the universe”
and “a globeful of lip-virtuous felons!”

Historical Views of Other Animals
Late 19th, Early 20th Century
Dr. Albert Schweitzer
Won the 1952 Nobel Peace
Prize for his philosophy of
reverence for life (plants too).
He said any harm to living
things must be necessary to be
ethical.
“Until he extends the circle of
compassion to all living things,
man will not himself find peace.”

Historical Views on
Vegetarianism
Henry Salt (turn of 20th century
British teacher/author/activist):
 We are hypocrites to call ourselves civilized
when we are violent/savage.
 He recognized that some animal harm is
necessary to harvest plant crops, but
Notice title. raising of animals for slaughter is
It was 1892! unnecessary harm.
 Like Tolstoy and Anna Kingsford, he saw
vegetarianism as foundational to a
virtuous life (and all justice movements).
 He influenced Gandhi.* They both believed
the strongest reason to go vegetarian
was for animal ethics, not health.
Altruistic basis sustains all other motives
and promotes evolution to higher ethics.
* who were both influenced by fellow vegetarian Henry Thoreau.

Contemporary Animal Rights
Viewpoints – 1970s on…
PETER SINGER: equal interests for
sentient beings
 Utilitarian – goal to do what most
maximizes pleasure and minimizes
pain. So focus is on animal suffering.
 What humans really value is people’s
sentience, not intelligence.
 Many animal species are equally
sentient as the human animal.
 To discriminate against them because
they’re not human is “speciesist” – an
unfounded group bias.
 So we must respect and consider
nonhuman animals’ interests equally
to our own. (even if interests are
different).

Modern Animal Rights Views on
Veganism
Peter Singer:
 Animal agriculture is speciesist. It sacrifices the
major interests of nonhumans (life) for the minor
interests of humans (taste).
 We should make it a “simple general principle to
avoid killing animals for food except when it is
necessary for survival.”

Contemporary Animal Rights
Viewpoints – 1970s on…
TOM REGAN: equal rights for
conscious “subjects of a life”
 Duty-based philosopher: always do
what is right. Don’t use anyone as a
means to an end.
 Most animals are conscious individuals
who value their lives (“subjects of a
life”).
 We should extend our concept of
human rights to other subjects-of-a-life
for moral consistency in respecting life.
 Subjects have inherent value, so it is
wrong to value them solely as a
resource/object. This means we should
discontinue exploitation.

Modern Animal Rights Views on
Veganism
Tom Regan:
 It is killing that should be avoided,
not just causing pain. Even idyllic
farms take life.
 The “total abolition of commercial
animal agriculture” is a goal of the
animal rights movement.

Contemporary Animal Rights
Viewpoints- 1970s on…
FEMALE PERSPECTIVES:
 Feminist Ethic of Care: finds
traditional ethics too abstract,
individualistic, and rationalistic.
Prefers to emphasize kinship,
community, & personal
relationships. Act not out of duty
but out of empathy, love,
compassion, & caring.
 Ecofeminist: Patriarchy is the
problem, as men dominated/used
women because women were
deemed closer to other animals and
nature (other dominated entities).
Male/Female Man/Animal
Mind/Body Reason/Emotion

Modern Ecofeminist Views on
Veganism
Carol Adams (ecofeminist):
 “Women and animals are
similarly positioned in a
patriarchal world, as
pleasurable objects rather
than subjects”
 Women and farmed animals
both endure a “cycle of
objectification, fragmentation,
and consumption.”

Modern Ecofeminist Views on
Veganism
Carol Adams (ecofeminist):
 Meat is associated historically
with masculinity and male
power (in the last 20,000 years
only…largely herbivorous before).
 Plant-based societies have
tend to be more egalitarian
than patriarchal.
 Animal agriculture uses
female animals to profit off
their reproductive systems.
Meat, and especially eggs and dairy,
insemination are sexist foods.

Contemporary Animal Rights
Viewpoints- 1970s on…
Legal Activist Perspectives:
 Gary Francione: Animal rights is about
justice and abolition of exploitation. It
demands the “incremental eradication of
the property status of animals” to raise
them to the level of “personhood.” (and see
Steven Wise’s NonhumanRightsProject.org)
 Lee Hall: Animal rights is a duty-based
ethic granting nonhumans the right to
privacy and freedom from human
intrusion and control. It’s independence,
not benevolent stewardship.

Contemporary Animal Rights
Viewpoints- 1970s on…
Animal Welfare has the following characteristics
(distinct from animal rights), per Gary Francione:
1. Recognizes animal sentience but believes nonhumans
are not as worthy of moral respect as humans,
2. Recognizes the property status of nonhumans while
wanting to limit the rights of property owners
(regulating levels of animal exploitation), and
3. Accepts trading away the interests of nonhumans in
favor of human interests only if the latter are deemed
significant and necessary.
 Hall & Francione warn against conflating welfare
and rights. Rights theory should inform rights
activism for logical consistency, and can include
incremental abolition.

Debates in Farmed Animal
Activism – Welfare v. Rights
Q: Should we promote industry welfare reforms
and (implicitly) some less cruel products?
A: YES
Some arguments in Satya mag by Peter Singer,
Miyun Park (HSUS), & Bruce Friedrich (PETA).
 Humane reforms could help create higher
veganism rates. (ex: England)
 Reform drives prices up & consumption down.
 Helps mitigate suffering of billions of animals.
 Morale-boosting. It gives organizations lots of
small victories needed for fundraising & media.
 Media coverage causes disgust & raises public
consciousness not to view animals as objects.
 Public already agrees with anti-cruelty message.
 Cage-free campaigns are in sync with animal
rights philosophy (?)

Debates in Farmed Animal
Activism – Welfare v. Rights
Q: Should we promote industry welfare reforms
and (implicitly) some less cruel products?
A: NO
Some arguments in Satya mag by Eddie Lama,
Bob Torres, Lee Hall, Joan Dunayer, Howard
Lyman, & James LaVeck.
 Goal is to promote veganism (end of animal
exploitation) not to promote industry’s less
cruelly-farmed foods or to regulate acceptable
levels of cruelty.
 Reform acquiesces, allowing meat/farming to
be seen as a necessary evil.
 Animal rights is life-affirming, while reform still
promotes killing and exploitation with less
guilt.
 Don’t hide abolitionist or animal rights “agenda”

Debates in Farmed Animal
Activism – Welfare v. Rights
Q: Should we promote industry welfare reforms
and (implicitly) some less cruel products?
A: NO (cont.) Some arguments in Satya mag by Eddie
Lama, Bob Torres, Lee Hall, Joan Dunayer,
Howard Lyman, & James LaVeck.
 Control the discourse so the problem is defined
as exploitation, not as poor farming practices.
 Don’t send mixed messages that introduce
moral ambiguity and weaken rights position.
Let welfare groups do “humane farming”
campaigns.
 Vegan frame connects us with larger animal
rights goals and with environmentalism
(welfare frame does not).

Let’s Speak with Integrity
on Behalf of Fellow Animals
Let your ethical Transform society
values guide your by redefining
actions and your reasonable
to include respecting
speech. fellow animals’ rights
Don’t restrict it to fit to life, liberty, & the
what the speciesist pursuit of happiness.
establishment
deems “reasonable.”
If we are not going to
give the hard message
for what the animals need,
who is?
Australian activist
Patty Mark

References on Animal Ethics &
Vegetarian Ethics*
 Adams, C. J. (1990). The sexual politics of meat : a feminist-vegetarian critical
theory. New York: Continuum.
 Bauston, G. (2006, September). It’s not a black and white issue. Satya, 18–21.
 Beers, D. L. (2006). For the prevention of cruelty : the history and legacy of animal
rights activism in the United States. Athens, Ohio: Swallow Press/Ohio University
Press.
 Davis, G. (1999). Vegetarian food for thought : quotations & inspirations . Troutdale,
OR: New Sage Press.
 Donovan, J., & Adams, C. J. (2007). The feminist care tradition in animal ethics : a
reader. New York: Columbia University Press.
 Dunayer, J. (2001). Animal equality: language and liberation. Derwood, Md.: Ryce
Dunayer, J. (2006, October). Serving abuse. Satya, 52–53.
 Finsen, L., & Finsen, S. (1994). The animal rights movement in America: from
compassion to respect. New York: Twayne.
 Foer, J. S. (2009). Eating animals. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
 Francione, G. L. (1996). Rain without thunder: The ideology of the animal rights
movement. Philadelphia, Pa.: Temple University Press.
 Freeman, C. P. (2008). Struggling for ideological integrity in the social movement
framing process : how U.S. animal rights organizations frame values and ethical
ideology in food advocacy communication. Dissertation. University of Oregon.
* This presentation’s info is largely pulled from the literature review of Carrie Packwood Freeman’s dissertation
to be published as a book Growing Vegetarians in 2013 or 2014.

References on Animal Ethics &
Vegetarian Ethics (cont.)
 Gandhi. (1957). An autobiography : the story of my experiments with truth . Boston:
Beacon Press.
 Hall, L. (2006a). Capers in the Churchyard: Animal Rights Advocacy in the Age of
Terror. Darien, CT: Nectar Bat Press.
 Hall, L. (2006b, October). Animal rights and wrongs. Satya, 24–27.
 Joy, M. (2010). Why we love dogs, eat pigs, and wear cows: an introduction to
carnism. San Francisco: Conari Press.
 Lama, E. (2006, September). Sadly, happy meat. Satya, 14–16.
 LaVeck, J. (2006a, September). Compassion for Sale? Satya, 8–11.
 LaVeck, J. (2006b, October). Invasion of the movement snatchers. Satya, 18–23.
 Linzey, A., & Clarke, P. (2004). Animal rights: A historical anthology. New York:
Columbia University Press.
 Lyman, H. (2006, September). Straight talk from a former cattleman. Satya, 28–31.
 Mark, P. (2006, September). The importance of being honest. Satya, 22–25.
 Mason, J. (1997). An unnatural order: Why we are destroying the planet and each
other. New York: Continuum.
 Matheny, G. (2003). Least harm: A defense of vegetarianism from Steven Davis’s
omnivorous proposal. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 16(5), 505–
511.
 Maurer, D. (2002). Vegetarianism: Movement or moment? Philadelphia, PA: Temple
University Press.

References on Animal Ethics &
Vegetarian Ethics (cont.)
 Park, M. (2006, October). Calculating compassion. Satya, 14–16.
 Regan, T. (1983). The case for animal rights. Berkeley: University of California Press.
 Regan, T. (2002). How to worry about endangered species. In D. Schmidtz & E.
Willott (Eds.), Environmental ethics: What really matters, what really works (pp. 105–
108). New York: Oxford University Press.
 Regan, T. (2003). Animal rights, human wrongs: An introduction to moral philosophy.
Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
 Rifkin, J. (1992). Beyond beef: The rise and fall of the cattle culture. New York:
Dutton.
 Salt, H. S. (1980). Animals’ rights : considered in relation to social progress (2nd
edition (first published 1892).). Clarks Summit, Pa.: Society for Animal Rights.
 Singer, P. (1990). Animal liberation (2nd ed.). New York: Random House.
 Singer, P. (2006, October). Singer says. Satya, 8–12.
 Singer, P., & Friedrich, B. (2006, September). The longest journey begins with a
single step: Promoting animal rights by promoting reform. Satya, 12–13.
 Singer, P., & Mason, J. (2006). The ethics of what we eat: Why our food choices
matter. New York: Rodale.
 Torres, B. (2006, September). The odd logic of welfarism. Satya, 40–41.
 Walters, K. S., & Portmess, L. (1999). Ethical vegetarianism: From Pythagoras to
Peter Singer. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
 Wynne-Tyson, J. (1990). The extended circle: An anthology of humane thought.
London: Sphere Books.