Category: Reflections
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Where lies the burden of proof for eating meat?
Philosophers often talk about the “burden of proof.” What it means if you have the burden of proof is that you, not the other person, have the burden of proving that you’re right. In other words you need to provide the arguments and evidence in support of your position. Where the moral permissibility of meat-eating…
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Not all that’s edible is food
When I was at the social ontology conference last week I went to two great papers that considered, among other questions, the broad idea of what counts as food? In his paper, “Friend (Not) Food: Livestock as a Social Kind,” Dylan Brown, PhD candidate in Philosophy at Duke, noted that not everything edible counts as…
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Conference catering: what should the defaults be?
I’m at the International Social Ontology Society Conference in Stockholm this week. The conference provides lunch and breaks. And I’m happy to say that the lunches are all vegan and vegetarian. No meat-based options on the menu. This has become a trend at some conferences I’ve either attended or heard about lately. It’s especially prevalent…
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Travelling while vegan: Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
I don’t travel as much as I used to, but I’m doing it more than I did during the pandemic. I was recently vacationing in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario where I spent two weeks with my parents in Haliburton. While away, I came up with the idea of a series of “travelling while vegan” posts. Whenever…
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Meat and the lives of non-human animals
[Content warning: this post engages with a philosophical discussion that defends the killing and eating of non-human animals. Though I ultimately reject these arguments I present and explain them first.] As noted in my blog welcome post, this blog is part of a larger project that includes, among other things, a book-in-progress. As a philosopher,…
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Vegan “meat” products: is more realistic better?
Several years ago, before I’d ever heard of “Beyond,” I sent back a burger I’d ordered in a sports-bar style restaurant because I thought it was a beef burger rather than the veggie burger I’d ordered. It was red inside, and I thought the juice running out of it was blood on my plate. It…
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On labels: “vegan” or “plant-based”?
In recent years, you’ve probably noticed the rise of the term “plant-based.” What’s the difference between “vegan” and “plant-based”? Does it even matter? As a philosopher, I may be more prone to seeking significance in distinctions that others might consider simply a matter of semantics. But in this case, there is a difference in both…
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“Meatless Monday” is two-thirds there, once a week
You’ve probably heard about Meatless Monday, a campaign or, as the Mondays folks call it, “a global movement,” that encourages people to reduce their meat consumption “for their health and the health of the planet.” It’s a great idea and easy to do. It’s true that a plant-based diet has health benefits. This message has…
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Lab-grown meat? I’ll take a veggie burger, please
In recent years you’ve likely encountered reports of lab-grown or cultivated meat. As outlined in the article, “Will I See Lab-Grown Meat in Supermarkets Any Time Soon?” some people consider it a great alternative that addresses any ethical concerns they might have about killing animals for food. And we are one step closer to it…
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Why is talking about food ethics so prickly?
In my “about” blurb I mention that the blog is a companion to a book-in-progress. One thing the blog is helpful for is working through some issues I’m having with tone. I realize that food ethics in general raises issues that immediately put people on the defensive. Why so prickly? I touched on this a…
Vegan Practically 