Animal Welfare Ethics Essay

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Animal Welfare Ethics: Is There A Balanced Approach?

Part One: The Question

It is generally considered unethical, even illegal, to practice cruelty towards animals reared as pets. Wantonly killing wildlife is similarly scorned, and yet for some reason consumers turn a blind eye to livestock. It is possible to eat a balanced, healthy, and delicious diet that does not include meat but it is also understandable that many people would prefer a more balanced approach to animal welfare and the ethics of meat consumption. Therefore, the ethical question for this paper is: “Are factory farming conditions unethical, and if so, what would constitute an ethical framework for farming animals?”

Part Two: Introduction

Almost all (99%) of all livestock in the United States is raised in what is known as “factory farming” conditions, described by the ASCPA (2018) as “a large, industrial operation that raises large numbers of animals for food,” (p. 1). While many people take the source of their meat for granted, the conditions of factory farms have been increasingly called into question and not just by radical animal rights activists. Former factory farm employees have been speaking out about the cruel conditions and inhumane practices used in factory farms, conditions that are explicitly in place to boost profits at the expense of animal welfare (Soltaroff, 2013).

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Likewise, the ASCPA (2018) claims that factory farms “focus on profit and efficiency at the expense of animal welfare,” (p. 1). Yet no matter how many vegans try and shift social norms to get consumers to care more about animals, it seems unlikely that eating meat is going away anytime soon. The purpose of this paper is to question whether there is an ethical balance between veganism on the one hand, and the currently ethically spurious model of factory farming.

Part Three: Position Statement

The conditions in factory farms can be considered inhumane given that any time a sentient being is being harmed or killed, it is experiencing pain. Causing pain to another creature can be considered cruel, particularly if that pain can be avoided simply by avoiding the consumption of animal products. This is the core vegan ethical argument, and yet it is unreasonable to assume that humanity is ready for a complete transformation in the way they live and eat. Therefore, a more reasonable approach to the question of animal rights is how factory….....

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