Applying Pascal’s Wager to Animal Ethics

Blaise Pascal (1623-62) was a French mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and Catholic theologian. One of his most influential contributions to the philosophy of religion is a philosophical argument known as Pascal’s wager. This idea was published posthumously in Pascal’s Pensées (“Thoughts”).  This post will describe how Pascal’s wager can be usefully applied to animal ethics, namely,…

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Does Veganism Entail Antinatalism?

Many antinatalists embrace veganism, as they find these lifestyle decisions to be ethically consonant with each other. Yet most ethical vegans are not against having children. Whether one position entails the other depends on the particular ethic at play: If the goal is to prevent and minimise suffering, then does this not entail antinatalism? This…

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The Collaboration Between Farmers and Vegans

Animal agriculture is the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions (causing more emissions than all transport combined). Raising livestock is also a leading cause of deforestation, habitat loss, species extinction, water pollution, water consumption, and ocean dead zones. Many people, therefore, choose to give up animal products for environmental reasons, although ethical and health…

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Does Lab-Grown Meat Deserve the Hype?

Lab-grown meat is being heralded as a viable solution – the solution we desperately need – to the ecologically destructive effects of animal agriculture. Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 16.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is more than that caused by all transportation combined. In addition, it takes 2,500 gallons…

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Travelling Around the World on a Vegan Diet

Before I started my round-the-world trip in 2015, a few people asked if I would still stay vegan while travelling, sceptical that it was possible. In the early days of the job I had before this trip, I remember talking to the director of the company at lunch about the topic of vegetarianism (after she…

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