A Socratic Dialogue that ought to happen at my dining co-op
Carnivicus is a meat-eater at Old Barrows, a dining co-operative. Veganicus also goes to Old Barrows. Veganicus believes that meat should never be served at Old Barrows, despite the fact that many at Old Barrows eat meat and that Old Barrows has traditionally had an easygoing food policy.
Troubled by this, Carnivicus investigates the nature of the problem by questioning Veganicus:
Car: So why is it that we cannot have meat in Old B?
Veg: Because slaughtering animals for food is wrong.
Car: So if you don’t approve, then why don’t you not eat it?
Veg: Because I would still have to pay for the meat, which I do not support.
Car: So you should not have to help pay for anything that you disapprove of?
Veg: Exactly.
Car: Then tell me, if there were a conservative Christian in the co-op, and he disapproved of homosexuality, then should Old B not let homosexuals into the co-op?
Veg: That’s ridiculous, the conservative Christian doesn’t have to pay money towards what he doesn’t approve of.
Car: But they do; every person costs money to be fed and the conservative Christian may not want to spend his money on a co-op that condones homosexuality.
Veg: You’re still being ridiculous because what you’re talking about is discrimination, and that’s wrong.
Car: So if the viewpoint of the Christian were not wrong, we should oblige to it.
Veg: Yes, that is true.
Car: So by that logic, we should not have rice in the co-op if somebody is morally opposed to rice.
Veg: That’s ridiculous! Why should somebody be able to stop us from eating rice?
Car: Because you just said that if the person’s objection is not wrong, then we should oblige to it.
Veg: Well, it can’t be arbitrary.
Car: So then we should oblige to somebody’s objections if their viewpoint is not wrong nor arbitrary, but right.
Veg: Yes, that works.
Car: So by saying that meat should not be allowed in the co-op, you are insinuating that being opposed to meat is right.
Veg: Yes, I fully believe that.
Car: But what if not everybody believes that being opposed to meat is right?
Veg: Well I believe that eating meat is wrong.
Car: Just like how a conservative Christian believes that homosexuality is wrong.
Veg: But it’s different.
Car: How is it any different?
Veg: The conservative Christian is pushing his beliefs on other people
Car: And you’re not?
Veg: You know what? I’m ethically opposed to meat and I don’t believe in your greedy capitalist ethics! You’re completely wrong!
Car: You didn’t hear anything I said before did you?
Troubled by this, Carnivicus investigates the nature of the problem by questioning Veganicus:
Car: So why is it that we cannot have meat in Old B?
Veg: Because slaughtering animals for food is wrong.
Car: So if you don’t approve, then why don’t you not eat it?
Veg: Because I would still have to pay for the meat, which I do not support.
Car: So you should not have to help pay for anything that you disapprove of?
Veg: Exactly.
Car: Then tell me, if there were a conservative Christian in the co-op, and he disapproved of homosexuality, then should Old B not let homosexuals into the co-op?
Veg: That’s ridiculous, the conservative Christian doesn’t have to pay money towards what he doesn’t approve of.
Car: But they do; every person costs money to be fed and the conservative Christian may not want to spend his money on a co-op that condones homosexuality.
Veg: You’re still being ridiculous because what you’re talking about is discrimination, and that’s wrong.
Car: So if the viewpoint of the Christian were not wrong, we should oblige to it.
Veg: Yes, that is true.
Car: So by that logic, we should not have rice in the co-op if somebody is morally opposed to rice.
Veg: That’s ridiculous! Why should somebody be able to stop us from eating rice?
Car: Because you just said that if the person’s objection is not wrong, then we should oblige to it.
Veg: Well, it can’t be arbitrary.
Car: So then we should oblige to somebody’s objections if their viewpoint is not wrong nor arbitrary, but right.
Veg: Yes, that works.
Car: So by saying that meat should not be allowed in the co-op, you are insinuating that being opposed to meat is right.
Veg: Yes, I fully believe that.
Car: But what if not everybody believes that being opposed to meat is right?
Veg: Well I believe that eating meat is wrong.
Car: Just like how a conservative Christian believes that homosexuality is wrong.
Veg: But it’s different.
Car: How is it any different?
Veg: The conservative Christian is pushing his beliefs on other people
Car: And you’re not?
Veg: You know what? I’m ethically opposed to meat and I don’t believe in your greedy capitalist ethics! You’re completely wrong!
Car: You didn’t hear anything I said before did you?