Meat Eating and Moral Responsibility: Exploring the Moral Distinctions between Meat Eaters and Puppy Torturers

Utilitas 32 (4):398-415 (2020)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In his influential article on the ethics of eating animals, Alastair Norcross argues that consumers of factory raised meat and puppy torturers are equally condemnable because both knowingly cause serious harm to sentient creatures just for trivial pleasures. Against this claim, I argue that those who buy and consume factory raised meat, even those who do so knowing that they cause harm, have a partial excuse for their wrongdoings. Meat eaters act under social duress, which causes volitional impairment, and they often act from deeply ingrained habits, which causes epistemic impairment. But puppy torturers act against cultural norms and habits, consciously choosing to perform wrongful acts. Consequently, the average consumer of factory raised meat has, while puppy torturers lack, a cultural excuse. But although consumers of factory raised meat aren’t blameworthy, they are partially morally responsible for their harmful behavior – and for this, they should feel regret.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 101,667

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Nonculpably Ignorant Meat Eaters & Epistemically Unjust Meat Producers.C. E. Abbate - 2020 - Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 9 (9):46-54.
Strict Vegetarianism is Immoral.Donald W. Bruckner - 2015 - In Ben Bramble & Bob Fischer (eds.), The Moral Complexities of Eating Meat. New York, US: Oxford University Press. pp. 30-47.
On eating animals: Michael B. Gill.Michael B. Gill - 2013 - Social Philosophy and Policy 30 (1-2):201-207.
Vegetarian meat: Could technology save animals and satisfy meat eaters?Patrick D. Hopkins & Austin Dacey - 2008 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 21 (6):579-596.
The epistemology of meat eating.C. E. Abbate - 2021 - Social Epistemology 35 (1):67-84.
Against Blaming the Blameworthy.Bob Fischer - 2015 - In Ben Bramble & Bob Fischer (eds.), The Moral Complexities of Eating Meat. New York, US: Oxford University Press. pp. 185-198.

Analytics

Added to PP
2020-04-06

Downloads
203 (#123,860)

6 months
21 (#142,546)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Cheryl (C.E.) Abbate
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Citations of this work

Creating Carnists.Rachel Fredericks & Jeremy Fischer - 2024 - Philosophers' Imprint 24.
Structural Injustice and Ethical Consumption.Mark Peacock - 2023 - The Journal of Ethics 27 (2):191-210.

Add more citations

References found in this work

It's Not My Fault: Global Warming and Individual Moral Obligations.Walter Sinnott-Armstrong - 2005 - In Walter Sinnott-Armstrong & Richard B. Howarth (eds.), Perspectives on Climate Change. Elsevier. pp. 221–253.
Culpability and Ignorance.Gideon Rosen - 1998 - Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 103 (1):61-84.
Puppies, pigs, and people: Eating meat and marginal cases.Alastair Norcross - 2004 - Philosophical Perspectives 18 (1):229–245.
Adjusting utility for justice: A consequentialist reply to the objection from justice.Fred Feldman - 1995 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 55 (3):567-585.

View all 12 references / Add more references