# What justification is there for eating meat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 7, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659 "2017-07-07T00:25:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/241 "2017-07-16T04:47:50Z")
> [@yarblek](#): > > Exactly how much meat should we be eating? What are the consequences to the environment or the world if people stopped consuming animal products? Somehow, I think the benefits of not eating any meat are much greater than eating any amount of commercially farmed, highly agriculturally intensive, i.e. fodder-fed, livestock, which I think constitutes the vast majority of all the sources of our meat consumption. Currently when we farm plants, we farm _way_ more of them for animal rather than human consumption. Maybe if meat would become a luxury product, like Beluga caviar, it would be OK for environmental reasons to eat it. Read the book. then come back. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/242 "2017-07-16T11:56:39Z")
If we stopped eating meat, the byproducts of the leather industry would go to waste. Shoes, handbags, furniture, footballs are still going to be produced. Why throw out the remaining carcasses? And no. Pleather is a joke. Don’t even go there. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/243 "2017-07-16T14:08:45Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > If we stopped eating meat, the byproducts of the leather industry would go to waste. Shoes, handbags, furniture, footballs are still going to be produced. Why throw out the remaining carcasses? > > And no. Pleather is a joke. Don’t even go there. Oh, I went there. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/244 "2017-07-16T16:31:54Z")
I’d never heard of Pleather before… Okay, it isn’t so good. But progress, guys! Progress! Look at how good modern “fake fur” is! You can buy yards and yards of “tiger skin” fur for coats or rugs or whatnot, and, yeah, you can tell the difference…but not trivially! The stuff is darned good! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/245 "2017-07-16T16:36:17Z")
Then there is the [nauga](https://www.google.com/search?q=nauga&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjAyOr1nY7VAhWDyyYKHd0rDqEQ_AUICygC&biw=1056&bih=518). ---
**Author:** ![ElderSign](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eldersign/32/8263_2.png) [@ElderSign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElderSign)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/246 "2017-07-16T19:01:57Z")
The meat-eaters should just come out and say that they don’t care about the suffering of other species because they think other animals are at a lesser consciousness/sentience/intelligence, kinda like how vegans think of plants and mushrooms. Or be even more flippant about it and fall back on “they taste good”. Don’t try to project your guilt by attacking “morally superior” vegans or rationalize how you are doing the world a favor by EATING fellow animals who have similar feelings (if not the same) as you do. We all draw lines at what we eat. Most of you do not eat humans, cats, or dogs for some reason. You also give cockroaches equal value. Cows, chickens, pigs, and lobster? Nope. Justify wearing fur. Justify being a capitalist. Justify being an atheist. Justify eating meat. It’s a fair game question/thought experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/247 "2017-07-16T19:47:20Z")
> [@ElderSign](#): > > The meat-eaters should just come out and say that they don’t care about the suffering of other species because they think other animals are at a lesser consciousness/sentience/intelligence, kinda like how vegans think of plants and mushrooms. . . . Yes…and no. Yes, we do consider them “lesser,” sufficiently so as to justify our killing them for food. But no, we are not callous, and we very, very much do care about animal suffering. It’s extremely unfair of you to accuse us of not caring. We do an awful lot to make farm animals comfortable and give them decent living conditions. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/248 "2017-07-16T20:01:32Z")
> [@ElderSign](#): > > … > We all draw lines at what we eat. Most of you do not eat humans, cats, or dogs for some reason. You also give cockroaches equal value. Cows, chickens, pigs, and lobster? Nope. > … Lol, I don’t think anyone avoids eating cockroaches because of the “value” we place on roaches. They just don’t seem appealing to eat. Like dirt. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/249 "2017-07-16T22:09:27Z")
What need meat? I’ll let King Lear answer for me. _O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars Are in the poorest thing superfluous. Allow not nature more than nature needs, Man’s life’s as cheap as beast’s._ And it’s true. Start asking what do we really need this for, what do we need that for, and you’ll end up living in a cave gnawing at mouldy bread and wiping your arse with vegetation. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/250 "2017-07-17T01:20:00Z")
> [@ElderSign](#): > > The meat-eaters should just come out and say that they don’t care about the suffering of other species because they think other animals are at a lesser consciousness/sentience/intelligence, kinda like how vegans think of plants and mushrooms. We do care about animal suffering, what we don’t care about is vegans and what they think. Of course a grain-fed vegan might be delicious… ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/251 "2017-07-17T01:36:06Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > We do care about animal suffering, what we don’t care about is vegans and what they think. Of course a grain-fed vegan might be delicious… They easy nasty stuff like kale and seitan. I doubt they are very tasty. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/252 "2017-07-17T01:46:23Z")
Eat. Not easy. Darn edit window (And Swype) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/253 "2017-07-17T09:17:14Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > We do care about animal suffering, what we don’t care about is vegans and what they think. Of course a grain-fed vegan might be delicious… You have to scrub them, just like chitlins. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/254 "2017-07-17T10:45:38Z")
I agree with the OP. I made the decision to stop eating the flesh of mammals and birds as soon as I reached adulthood, although I still eat mammal dairy products and the unfertilized eggs of birds. I do also still eat seafood, although generally not cephalopods, such as octopus and squid, since they exhibit relatively high levels of intelligence. Since giving up these foodstuffs, I’ve never once missed eating meat. The last time I accidentally ate meat was a couple of months ago when I ate a chicken sushi roll. I felt a bit sick, and made myself so. The key factor in my decision-making was my love for a dog. Understanding that a non-human mammal was capable of some level of intelligence and could also experience emotions like joy, sadness, and even love, made it impossible for me to eat other mammals in good conscience. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/255 "2017-07-18T01:43:35Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > … I ate a chicken sushi roll. I felt a bit sick, and made myself so. Um, chicken sushi? Why? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/256 "2017-07-18T02:02:57Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Um, chicken sushi? Why? Exactly! 🙂 I don’t know, it was some inauthentic store-bought sushi selection, and they decided to make a couple of the California rolls using chicken for some reason. I should have checked the label more closely, to be fair. ---
**Author:** ![K2500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f6c823/32.png) [@K2500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K2500)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/257 "2017-07-21T00:25:23Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > As I have heard, from more than one source, in meat processing faculties the only part of the cattle not used is the Moo. ## Brain and spinal column are landfilled, but yes they use EVERTHING else. If they could box the moo they’d sell it by the case. Most also take animal welfare VERY seriously, but at the end of the day they’re all still getting knocked and boxed. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/258 "2017-07-21T00:40:32Z")
So…what about the whales (those gentle giants we do not eat because reasons) and their habit of eating cephalopods? Do we not owe it to the the gentle, high functioning cephalopods to intervene and stop their victimization by the murderous cetaceans? ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/259 "2017-07-21T01:17:51Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > So…what about the whales (those gentle giants we do not eat because reasons) and their habit of eating cephalopods? It’s their culture. We’re not allowed to criticize them (because reasons). ---
**Author:** ![LoneRhino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lonerhino/32/1311_2.png) [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659/260 "2017-07-23T18:44:04Z")
> [@Marcus\_Flavius](#): > > Yes, I’d still be opposed to breeding sentient life into existence to use as food. > And it’s unbelievable that Americans would reduce their meat consumption to 1-2 meals per weak, if even that. You use the word ‘sentient’. I don’t think that word means what you think it means. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-justification-is-there-for-eating-meat/790659.md?page=14)