Killing for Pleasure

Abstract

This paper formulates and defends a version of moral vegetarianism. Since eating animals is not causally connected to their death, I begin with analyzing the moral status of consumer actions that do not, taken on their own, harm animals (I). I then formulate a version of moral vegetarianism (II). Three different opponents of moral vegetarianism are then distinguished and criticized (III-VI). I then take up the argument according to which eating animals benefits them (VII). I close with the question of the desirability of collective vegetarianism from the point of view of animals.