Ethics of eating meat

In most societies the great majority of people eat meat when they can get it, but increasing controversy and debate has arisen over the ethics of eating animals. The most commonly given ethical objection to meat-eating is that as, for most people living in the developed world, it is not necessary for their survival or health; slaughtering animals solely because people enjoy the taste of meat is argued by some to be wrong and morally unjustifiable.

Ethical vegetarians may also object to the practices underlying the production of meat, or cite their concerns about animal welfare, animal rights, environmental ethics, and religious scruples. In response, some proponents of meat-eating have adduced various scientific, nutritional, cultural, and religious arguments in support of the practice. Some meat-eaters only object to rearing animals in certain ways, such as in factory farms, or killing them with cruelty; others avoid only certain meats, such as veal or foie gras.

Peter Singer (Princeton University and University of Melbourne professor and pioneer of the animal liberation movement) has long argued that, if it is possible to survive and be healthy without eating meat, fish, dairy, or eggs, one ought to choose that option instead of causing unnecessary harm to animals. In Animal Liberation, Singer argued that, because non-human animals feel, they should be treated according to utilitarian ethics. Singer's work has since been widely built upon by philosophers, both those who agree and those who do not, and it has been applied by animal rights advocates as well as by ethical vegetarians and vegans.

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