Chapter 22 At Issue Questions

AT ISSUE: SHOULD WE EAT MEAT?

  1. In paragraph 9, Taylor writes, “Nature is one of the most common justifications for animal exploitation,” and in paragraphs 12–14, she gives specific examples of this justification from humane meat advocates such as Nicolette Hahn Niman. What other examples can you identify? Do you believe that saying our behavior is natural is enough to justify our eating meat? Why or why not?

  2. To a greater or lesser degree, all of the writers in this casebook use logic and evidence to make their arguments, but how effective are appeals to logos in the context of this topic? As Foer points out, “Food is not rational. Food is culture, habit, craving, and identity” (para. 18). How are your own eating practices—including the decision whether to eat meat—shaped by “culture, habit, craving, and identity”? Are these practices open to persuasion and argument? Explain.

WRITING ARGUMENTS: SHOULD WE EAT MEAT?

All of the writers in this casebook consider the ethics of eating. Foer examines a number of implicitly moral standards that supposedly guide food choices—for instance, “Don’t eat animals with significant mental capacities” (para. 9); Niman considers the environmental consequences of eating meat, with an implied ethical assumption that people should reduce their “individual contributions to climate change” (23); Taylor refers explicitly to the “moral argument” against eating meat (21); and Payne considers the “ethical justification” for eating animals (15). Write an argumentative essay in which you take a position on the issue of eating meat. Do you think it is morally and ethically acceptable? Be sure to address opposing arguments presented by the writers in this casebook.