In response to Shannon's question, I believe that while her theory about humans being cannibals by eating animal flesh is interesting and thought provoking, it is not entirely true. Humans, unless they eat other humans, are not cannibals; they are omnivores. If the classification for being a cannibal was that the individual or thing had only to eat meat, many animals like lions and dogs would also be considered cannibals.
The cannibal theory, while debatablee does hint on a major philosophical issue about human consumption of animal flesh. Although humans have the capacity to eat meat, the morality behind it is still up for debate. By comparing meat eaters to cannibals, Shannon invokes the monstrous nature of consuming animal flesh. Normally, whenever I think about cannibalism, I naturally think of Hannibal in the Silence of the Lambs. Maybe cannibalism can take on a different form? I still, however, think eating meat is not cannibalism.
Q: If consuming animal flesh is morally wrong, is it also wrong to consume animal byproducts such as milk?
I believe this is another very debatable question...it all depends on your beliefs.
ReplyDeleteMany people are vegetarian because they feel it is morally wrong to consume animal flesh but they still consume and use animal byproducts. Although I am not a vegetarian I think one of the reasons for this might be because it's (for lack of a better word) apparent as eating meat is that it's something from an animal. Another argument might be that a byproduct such as milk doesn't require killing the animal and if done properly shouldn't hurt the animal their. In fact if cows that are raised as milking cows don't get milked when they are suppose to that can actually hurt them.
Then there are the people who don't eat animal flesh or use any of their byproducts becuase they do think that it is morally wrong. There are also people who choose to do so because of health reasons. And of course there are the people who do eat animal flesh and use their byproducts. Like I said no matter what you do I think it depends on your beliefs.
Question:
Based off of Samantha's original question...If is morally wrong to consume animal byproducts such as milk wouldn't that bring up debate on wheather or not it's morally wrong to feed a human child a mother's breast milk??