How is it possible for one be vegan, and also be pro-choice?

Most of the logic justifying the inherent right to life of animals seems to also apply to the unborn. Especially when talking the third trimester: brainwaves., ability to feel pain, etc. Yet, I’d guess most vegans are pro-choice. What gives?

2 answers9 replies

11 Comments

davesp1903

Jul 23, 2020

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Morally, I value "instantiated conscious data-systems". The magnitude of this moral value is modulated primarily with respect to that systems' inherent capacity for sentience and sapience.

But there has to actually be some instantiated data system of which to assess, and in the case of human beings, it doesn't seem that such a thing even exists for quite awhile throughout gestation- certainly not before the first flicker of electromagnetic cognitive ability. So the moral value of a fertilized egg can be 0, while the value of a pig could be something like 10 (because at least that conscious data system exists to evaluate.)

I'm not a vegan, and I'm only pro-choice up to a certain point, but that is how the two could be reconciled philosophically, seems to me.

André Filho

Jul 30, 2020

Replying to

The current discussion goes beyond personhood. You might want to ask the question if those things are necessary for moral worth.

Also, going back to the original post, it also matters the definition of veganism. If you define veganism as a dietary behaviour, than you can justify anything with that. But if you define veganism as "avoiding unnecessary suffering", than it does look inconsistent with abortion on the third trimester arguably.