Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy the age of vegetarianism

One question-- is it fundamentally cruelty?

I think that familiarity probably plays an integral role there-- kids who have not ever seen animals from farm-to-plate probably feel that such an existence is inevitably cruelty.

Kids who have seen it know that isn't inherently the case-- at least not from the animal's perspective. That, I think, is some mash-up of cognitive ability, empathy, and maturity-- the ability to take a non-human perspective like that. Which then means that we as humans have to decide whether or not we SHOULD feel guilty for eating animals, assuming that the animal probably doesn't much care either way, given a reasonably happy and humane existence otherwise.

Not all kids are (emotionally) capable of withstanding the acquisition of the data here, however. Some are, and some aren't. My DD doesn't like watching rabbits being butchered, but she's seen it and it hasn't had much impact on her relative enthusiasm for bunny enchiladas. Me, on the other hand, I was seriously traumatized by my 7-8 yo experience of raising market pigs. Pigs are intelligent and affectionate-- very dog-like once you get to know them, and they have a level of cognitive awareness that makes eating factory-farmed ones impossible for me personally, having had that personal experience.

There is a component which is down to possible anthropomorphism versus pragmatism, as well. Few people truly see trout and border collies as being completely interchangeable on the sentience and cognition scale if they are familiar with both animals in a non-theoretical sense.


Yes, though... if you look at my above example, that's exactly what my personal assessment has been based upon; the level of cognition in a particular species. I won't eat some kinds of animals at all, and others only if I know that they've been humanely treated and killed in such a way as to NOT suffer in the process. Which, in my mind, is more than most non-food animals get, when you get right down to it.

So my personal feeling is that a lot (not all, though) radical vegans tend to romanticize the "natural living" that animals do in the wild. They do suffer as part of living. Now, from a philosophical angle, I understand the argument that all sentient beings should have autonomy... but I don't overestimate the ability of a goldfish, nor underestimate the ability of a horse or goat. Rabbits are just not as intelligent as pigs, nor are they as thoughtful; ergo, while rabbits are just as deserving of respectful husbandry (and maybe MORE in need of parental care, in some ways, given their inability to care for themselves), I can eat them far more readily than a pig.

Familiarity goes a LONG way there, I think.

I believe, for that reason, that children should be familiar with farmed animals and get to know them. Some kids only know sheep from books and movies, and that's a shame.

I think that the important thing for any particular decision-making is to remain flexible and make sure that you aren't making decisions on bad data... for example, Hollywood anthropomorphic portrayals like Finding Nemo. Dig into the neuroscience research about animals and their level of self-awareness, in other words.