Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Spelman, Jonathan, “Against Eating Humanely Raised Meat: Revisiting Fred’s Basement,” Journal of Animal Ethics 10, no. 2 (2020): 177-191. University of Illinois Press, doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/janimalethics.10.2.0177.
Abstract
In “Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases,” Alastair Norcross uses a thought experiment he calls “Fred’s Basement” to argue that consuming factory-farmed meat is morally equivalent to torturing and killing puppies to enjoy the taste of chocolate. Thus, he concludes that consuming factory-farmed meat is morally wrong. Although Norcross leaves open the possibility that consuming humanely-raised meat is permissible, I contend that his basic argumentative approach rules it out. In this paper, then, I extend Norcross’ thought experiment in hopes of convincing readers that consuming humanely-raised meat is morally wrong.
Publication Date
Fall 2020
DOI
10.5406/janimalethics.10.2.0177
Notes
The article found here is a pre-print, and the final published copy can be found using the following linked text.