Is Veganism Ethical?

A philosophical analysis

(Source: Piqsels)

Tigers. Hold on to that thought.

Dogs, frogs, pigs, and chickens, too.

In this article, I will consider the ethical case for veganism. There are multiple valid arguments in favor of veganism, including Kantian and suffering-focused ethical arguments. They are valid arguments in that if their premises are true, then their conclusions are true. But are the premises true? How truthful are the ethical claims for veganism?

Before we dive in, remember that veganism is a stronger claim than vegetarianism. Veganism claims that it is not only unethical to eat nonhuman animals, it is also unethical to use any products that come from nonhuman animals.

The Main Ethical Arguments for Veganism

To construct an ethical argument for veganism, one has to address a basic question. What ethical duties or obligations do we have to nonhuman animals?

One argument for veganism is to claim that we have the same ethical obligations to nonhuman animals as we have to human animals. It is an argument made by philosopher Christine Korsgaard, who claims that, according to Kantian ethics, we violate the integrity of ethics if we treat other beings as means to our own ends. Thus, she reasons, if we treat nonhuman animals…