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The Vegan Culture

Vegans are described by their commitment to not consuming animal products. Vegans consider the consumption of animal products as being unnecessary as well as unethical. Therefore, the vegan culture is founded on principles that are thought of as superior to the rest of the population in terms of their moral soundness. Usually, many examples support why people should be vegan. For example, the vegan culture is endorsed because it is more sustainable and results in little environmental pollution. For all the arguments that support the vegan culture, the main thing that they have in common is their appeal to moral superiority. Since societies are based on norms influenced by ethics and morals, vegans suggest that the rational culture for society to endorse is the vegan culture.

The first argument that supports the vegan culture is its contribution to sustainability. Sustainability describes the support for the survival of the planet so that the future generation will find a habitable planet. This usually means that for sustainability to be attained, actions that degrade the planet should be avoided. Consequently, all actions which result in pollution should be avoided. One of the activities that result in pollution of the environment is agriculture, especially livestock keeping. Livestock such as beef cattle or dairy cattle is usually kept in large numbers to satisfy the demand for dairy and beef products. However, as the livestock digest the grass and other feed materials, they produce methane gas released into the atmosphere. As methane accumulates in the atmosphere, it leads to global warming because of the heat that the methane gas molecules trap in the atmosphere. The consequences of global warming mean that future generations will find an inhabitable planet that will not adequately cater to their needs. Apart from the high global temperatures that the planet may experience due to global warming, the planet will also be more susceptible to extreme weather conditions, which would impact their survival. Since the demand for dairy and beef leads to the supply and consequently livestock farming, vegans propose switching from animal products to save the planet as a moral duty.

The second argument which vegans propose is that an alternative diet supports undue cruelty on animals. Human beings, in their interactions, pride themselves on being humane. However, vegans argue that consuming animal products makes humans guilty of cruelty. One manifestation of the cruelty is the fact that animals have to die for the diet of humans to be satisfied. Vegans would ask how one would feel if their pet was killed to prepare a meal. Since all animals can be considered the same, the argument that beef cattle should be reared to be butchered and dogs and cats should be regarded as pets does not hold. The second manifestation of the cruelty is the growth conditions that animals are subjected to maximize profits. Usually, animals are conditioned to reproduce to their limits, while animals such as poultry are made to grow as quickly as possible through genetic modification and growth hormones. Thirdly, animals are reared in crowded conditions, which significantly limits their freedom and quality of life. These arguments of cruelty point to a larger overarching argument of speciesism. Just like racism should be discouraged because it is founded on an untrue perception of supremacy, some species should not be considered deserving of better treatment than others.

Vegans also argue that a diet that is made up of animal products is entirely unnecessary. A vegan diet can supply all the nutritional needs that one needs. This can be evidenced by the existence of vegan athletes, considering that sports usually require a comprehensive diet to sustain performance. The argument, therefore, condemns the eating of animal products as an unnecessary set of cultures. For example, different tribes consume different animal products despite broadly accepted beef, dairy, and fish diets. However, some exotic diets, such as dog meat consumption, could be considered inappropriate in some cultures. This points to diets as cultures. Instead of blindly following these cultures, one should consider whether eating animal products is necessary, considering that it results in animal cruelty and unsustainability.

All that vegans suggest is that we should be better humans. We should ascribe to higher morals, especially in a world faced with current issues such as global warming. By switching to a vegan diet, the world would become more sustainable, humane, and healthy.