Why vegan?
Only 50 years ago, racial discrimination was considered “normal” by most people in the United States. Two hundred years ago, slavery was acceptable to the great majority of people in the world. Two thousand years ago, in Europe, it was considered “normal” to feed lions with innocent people just to entertain the public. Further back in history, it was common for servants to be buried alive with their deceased master.
In every case, morality progressed because a small number of people had the courage to question the ethical norms of their society, in order to reduce pointless suffering. Today most people believe it is “normal” to kill animals for meat, but truth is not democratic. The Earth does not become flat just because most people think so.
In Moldova, most people would agree that it is ugly and immoral to set a cat on fire for entertainment. Yet, once we do not need meat to survive, when we choose to eat meat we choose at the same time to cause the suffering and death of others merely for the pleasure of tasting meat. Considering what happens on animal farms and in slaughterhouses, setting a cat on fire is, by comparison, relatively humane. In both cases, all we get in return is a few moments of insignificant pleasure.
Documentaries and videos
If you want to see more, here are some well-known documentaries in English. All of them open on YouTube, in a new window. We chose official uploads by the authors; some films are hard-hitting and are marked. The descriptions follow the sources’ own descriptions.
1:35:47EARTHLINGS – 10 Year Anniversary Edition2005 documentary written and directed by Shaun Monson and narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, about humanity’s economic dependence on animals and how they are treated. Official upload.Hard-hitting content, not for children.![Thumbnail of the video: Dominion (2018) – full documentary [Official]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LQRAfJyEsko/hqdefault.jpg)
2:00:00Dominion (2018) – full documentary [Official]2018 Australian documentary directed by Chris Delforce, using drones and hidden cameras to expose modern animal agriculture. Official upload.Hard-hitting content; YouTube asks you to confirm your age.
2:13COWSPIRACY – Official TrailerOfficial trailer of the environmental documentary “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret”.
2:29The Game Changers – Official TrailerOfficial trailer of the documentary about plant-based eating in sport.
2:12Forks Over Knives – Official TrailerOfficial trailer of the documentary “Forks Over Knives”, about plant-based eating and health.The films represent the views of their authors. Check the claims against independent sources, for example in Health and a vegan diet and The environmental reason.
Questions and answers on the ethics of veganism
- How Do We Know That Other Animals Can Feel Pain?
- What If Humans Treat and Slaughter Farmed Animals Humanely?
- Aren’t the Animals Already Dead When We Buy Meat from a Shop?
- Haven’t Humans Eaten Meat Ever Since They Appeared on Earth?
- Is Meat Too Tasty to Give Up for Veganism?
- What About Situations Where People Need to Eat Meat to Survive?
- If Everyone Became Vegan, What Would Happen to Farmed Animals?
- Isn’t It Insulting to Compare Human Beings with Animals?
- If We Didn’t Raise Animals for Food, Would They Miss Out on Life?
- What About Killing Plants?
- What Evidence Is There That Other Animals Can Make Moral Decisions?
- Doesn’t Our Duty to Other People Come First?
- Do Only Humans Have Souls?
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Haven’t Humans Eaten Meat Ever Since They Appeared on Earth?
The original answer argues that a practice is not morally justified merely because it has existed for a long time.
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Isn’t Eating Meat Part of Our Cultural Heritage?
The original answer argues that cultural traditions can include practices later recognised as wrong.
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Don’t Most People Think There Is Nothing Morally Wrong with Eating Meat?
The original answer argues that moral truth is not determined by majority opinion and cites historical examples.
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When We Eat Meat, We Aren’t Breaking Any Laws
The original answer distinguishes legal rules from moral principles.
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Why Is It Wrong to Eat Meat?
The author argues that eating meat is wrong when survival does not require it and the reward is brief pleasure.
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Is Meat Too Tasty to Give Up for Veganism?
The original answer encourages gradual change and describes meat substitutes available at the time it was written.
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What About Situations Where People Need to Eat Meat to Survive?
The author describes cases where a vegetarian diet is not possible and explains a personal ethical view.
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If Everyone Became Vegan, What Would Happen to Farmed Animals?
The original answer says farmed animal populations would decline as demand for breeding and slaughter fell.
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Aren’t the Animals Already Dead When We Buy Meat from a Shop?
The original answer says that buying meat still contributes to future demand for animals raised and killed.
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If Everyone Became Vegan, Would Those Dependent on Animal Farming Face Economic Hardship?
The original answer compares a shift away from animal farming with other industries that declined.