aboutsuchdetailsaswhetherthecakeyouareofferedata
party was made with a factory farm egg.
Wearestillalongwayfromthepointatwhichitispossible
to put pressure on restaurants and food manufacturers to
eliminateanimalproducts altogether. Thatpointwill come
when a significant section of the population is boycotting
meatandotherfactoryfarmproducts.Untilthenconsistency
demandsonly thatwedonotcontributesignificantlytothe
demandforanimalproducts. Thuswecandemonstratethat
wehavenoneedofanimalproducts.Wearemorelikelyto
persuadeotherstoshareourattitudeifwetemperourideals
withcommonsensethanifwestriveforthekindofpurity
thatismoreappropriatetoareligiousdietarylawthantoan
ethical and political movement.
Usuallyitisnottoodifficulttobeconsistentinone’sattitudes
to animals.Wedonot havetosacrificeanythingessential,
becauseinournormallifethereisnoseriousclashofinterests
betweenhumanandnonhumananimals.Itmustbeadmitted,
though,thatitispossibletothinkofmoreunusualcasesin
whichthereisagenuineclashofinterests.Forinstance,we
needtogrowcropsofvegetablesandgraintofeedourselves;
butthesecropsmaybethreatenedbyrabbits,mice,orother
“pests.”Here we havea clear conflict of interest between
humansandnonhumans.Whatwouldbedoneaboutit,ifwe
were to act in accordance with the principle of equal
consideration of interests?
Firstletusnotewhatisdoneaboutthissituationnow.The
farmerwillseektokilloffthe“pests”bythecheapestmethod
available. Thisislikely tobe poison.Theanimals willeat
poisoned baits, and die a slow, painful death. No