On an assignment, a student offered the sensible suggestion that one might navigate the ethical mysteries of our proper relations to animals by extending the golden rule to them. This seems fine, but then I wondered about eating them (yet again). It occurred to me that perhaps one should follow the rule: eat others the way you want to be eaten.
One of my colleagues (not a vegetarian) remarked: right, and I don't want to be eaten. But (it occurs to me now): all of us will be eaten at some point, by bugs if not bears. I don't know what follows from this.
After a natural death, though (most of us). And only after our remains have been buried or destroyed in a dignified way. Although sky burial (the body is hacked up and fed to vultures) might be an interesting case to consider.
ReplyDeleteOr is the right conclusion that it's OK for us to eat bugs (maybe) and bears (definitely not)?
The suggestion I draw is that we should eat bugs instead of meat. ;>
ReplyDelete