gastronomicgrounds.Ifoneisopposedtoinflictingsuffering
onanimals, but not to thepainlesskilling ofanimals, one
could consistently eat animals who had lived free of all
suffering and been instantly, painlessly slaughtered. Yet
practically and psychologically it is impossible to be
consistent in one’s concern for nonhuman animals while
continuingtodineonthem.Ifwearepreparedtotakethelife
of another being merely in order to satisfy
ourtasteforaparticulartypeoffood,thenthatbeingisno
morethanameanstoourend.Intimewewillcometoregard
pigs,cattle,andchickensasthings forustouse,nomatter
howstrongourcompassionmaybe;andwhenwefindthatto
continuetoobtainsuppliesofthebodiesoftheseanimalsata
priceweareabletopayitisnecessarytochangetheirliving
conditionsalittle,wewillbeunlikelytoregardthesechanges
too critically. The factory farm is nothing more than the
applicationoftechnologytotheideathatanimalsaremeans
toourends.Oureatinghabitsaredeartousandnot easily
altered.Wehaveastronginterestinconvincingourselvesthat
our concern forother animals does not require usto stop
eatingthem.Nooneinthehabitofeatingananimalcanbe
completelywithoutbiasinjudgingwhethertheconditionsin
which that animal is reared cause suffering.
Itisnotpracticallypossibletorearanimalsforfoodonalarge
scale without inflicting considerable suffering. Even if
intensivemethodsarenotused,traditionalfarminginvolves
castration,separationofmotherandyoung,breakingupsocial
groups, branding,transportation to theslaughterhouse, and
finallyslaughteritself.Itisdifficulttoimaginehowanimals
couldbe reared forfood withouttheseforms ofsuffering.
Possiblyitcouldbedoneonasmallscale,butwecouldnever
feedtoday’shugeurbanpopulationswithmeatraisedinthis