Milburn, J. orcid.org/0000-0003-0638-8555 (2016) Chewing over in vitro meat: Animal ethics, cannibalism and social progress. Res Publica, 22 (3). pp. 249-265. ISSN 1356-4765
Abstract
Despite its potential for radically reducing the harm inflicted on nonhuman animals in the pursuit of food, there are a number of objections grounded in animal ethics to the development of in vitro meat. In this paper, I defend the possibility against three such concerns. I suggest that worries about reinforcing ideas of flesh as food and worries about the use of nonhuman animals in the production of in vitro meat can be overcome through appropriate safeguards and a fuller understanding of the interests that nonhuman animals actually possess. Worries about the technology reifying speciesist hierarchies of value are more troublesome, however. In response to this final challenge, I suggest that we should be open not just to the production of in vitro nonhuman flesh, but also in vitro human flesh. This leads to a consideration of the ethics of cannibalism. The paper ultimately defends the position that cannibalism simpliciter is not morally problematic, though a great many practices typically associated with it are. The consumption of in vitro human flesh, however, is able to avoid these problematic practices, and so should be considered permissible. I conclude that animal ethicists and vegans should be willing to cautiously embrace the production of in vitro flesh.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Res Publica. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | In vitro meat; Cannibalism; Animal ethics; Animal rights; Food ethics; Veganism |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Politics and International Relations (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 02 Mar 2020 14:35 |
Last Modified: | 02 Mar 2020 14:40 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s11158-016-9331-4 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:157874 |