2) I’m not doing this for material gain or pleasure. Of course I am – it’s all about my own pleasure. I’m killing for my own personal comfort of not having to live in the same room as a bug. Or to be able to eat or consume whatever I want. Yes, I’m not hunting or fishing for fun perhaps. But neither am I just eating meat for survival or because I have no other options. I could abstain from animal products if I wanted to – vegans do it. In fact I wouldn’t even be a pioneer in that regard. Brave, principled, compassionate people sowed the path before me by voting with their wallets, forcing companies and restaurants to offer cruelty-free vegan products. It’s easier than ever before. There is some inconvenience to it, sure, and it takes extra effort to get sufficient protein and vitamins. But it’s also healthier. And regardless of any headwind in adopting that lifestyle, its not enough to excuse my choices.
3) I feel guilt over what I do, not an ego boost. This one is true. I am wracked with tremendous amounts of my own guilt. And I’d venture a guess that Putin is not. So does that make me any better? Marginally, perhaps, if you look at it from one perspective.
Or is it, in fact, worse, because I am so vividly aware of how heinous my actions are and yet I still do them anyway? Most of us have an idea of how pitiful the conditions for animals can be – there have been enough documentaries and sting operations and media reports on this over the years. I have seen so many that I’ve been outraged enough to send multiple donation checks to PETA. Doesn’t that make me an even CRUELER human being than an isolated, pampered leader who is surrounded by yes-men and who may be more ignorant as to his own behavior?
4) It’s an animal, not a human. They suffer less, or it doesn’t matter. Let me start this by saying that I would unequivocally favor my own species in a crisis. If I was on a boat that was sinking, I would try to save my fellow humans first, and then worry about any animals. Just like I might be biased towards protecting a family member over a stranger.
But in general, we are a pompous, narcissistic species. We think we’re the center of the universe, or at least of this planet, and we’re more valuable than anything else. No we’re not. There is no reason to think that our agony or distress is more important. Or that animals experience less. Suffering is suffering. Yes, perhaps, humans can think about suffering more. They appear to have the cognitive ability to dread it more. But there are enough studies and everyday examples to show that animals can anticipate and indeed severely injure themselves in a desperate attempt to escape pain. We also know that animals can get depressed when separated from their young, that they can stop eating, they can cry, they can show love, and they can have different personalities. On what basis can we claim that humans suffer more, or that our suffering is more important?