...I've been up for too long, so this probably does not make sense. On the off chance that it does, enjoy.
I hung out with a postmodernist in Sierra Leone. He loved vegan food and some vegan ethics, but ate meat to prove he had the right to. Not sure if that bit was genuine, as he openly admitted to talking a lot of bullshit. I still respect and love the guy to death too, but I had to convince him to not buy ivory from a guy at a market. Really.
The most effective argument, paraphrased for convenience and to make myself look more articulate: Him: "It's not an absolute wrong to buy ivory. There are no absolute rights or wrongs." Me: "Maybe there aren't absolute rights and wrongs, but if you can't reasonably justify buying that ivory in this specific instance, chances are good that it's wrong." Him: "But he [the guy selling the ivory] could eat for a week." Me: "So just give him the profit he'd make and buy some prettier and cheaper wood jewelry with what you'd have left over." Him: "But I WANT the ivory." Me: "You just want what's taboo, and you're just rationalizing to get what you want." Him: "Of course I am!"
And really, that's what it's all about. People want to feel like they do no wrong/harm, or that the harm they do is justifiable. For instance, I don't want to live on waste or grow my own food, ergo I ignore the fact that buying shit does harm, or I tell myself it'd be unreasonable to be freegan. In fact, I'm doing better than most because I buy vegan and otherwise "ethical" shit. Really, I recognize it. Somehow I'm still not changing my behavior, or even completely my line of thinking. (And I hope no one takes this as an attack or the opening-up of a freegan debate. It's just the best example that I can think of atm. I am obnoxiously genuine sometimes.)
Edit: But really, I totally agree. I think personal liberties stop when you begin to infringe on another's rights. (Unfortunately, I think we probably do this a lot more than we realize.) But anyway, eating animal products, if you acknowledge that animals have a right to live, is pretty obviously infringing on someone else's rights.
I hung out with a postmodernist in Sierra Leone. He loved vegan food and some vegan ethics, but ate meat to prove he had the right to. Not sure if that bit was genuine, as he openly admitted to talking a lot of bullshit. I still respect and love the guy to death too, but I had to convince him to not buy ivory from a guy at a market. Really.
The most effective argument, paraphrased for convenience and to make myself look more articulate:
Him: "It's not an absolute wrong to buy ivory. There are no absolute rights or wrongs."
Me: "Maybe there aren't absolute rights and wrongs, but if you can't reasonably justify buying that ivory in this specific instance, chances are good that it's wrong."
Him: "But he [the guy selling the ivory] could eat for a week."
Me: "So just give him the profit he'd make and buy some prettier and cheaper wood jewelry with what you'd have left over."
Him: "But I WANT the ivory."
Me: "You just want what's taboo, and you're just rationalizing to get what you want."
Him: "Of course I am!"
And really, that's what it's all about. People want to feel like they do no wrong/harm, or that the harm they do is justifiable. For instance, I don't want to live on waste or grow my own food, ergo I ignore the fact that buying shit does harm, or I tell myself it'd be unreasonable to be freegan. In fact, I'm doing better than most because I buy vegan and otherwise "ethical" shit. Really, I recognize it. Somehow I'm still not changing my behavior, or even completely my line of thinking. (And I hope no one takes this as an attack or the opening-up of a freegan debate. It's just the best example that I can think of atm. I am obnoxiously genuine sometimes.)
Edit: But really, I totally agree. I think personal liberties stop when you begin to infringe on another's rights. (Unfortunately, I think we probably do this a lot more than we realize.) But anyway, eating animal products, if you acknowledge that animals have a right to live, is pretty obviously infringing on someone else's rights.
Reply
Leave a comment