To Eat Meat or Not To Eat Meat?

That is the question that Michael Pollan attempts to answer in the seventeenth chapter of his book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. He discusses Peter Singer's Animal Liberation that calls the practice of eating animals barbaric. Singer points out that we should give equal consideration to humans and non-humans alike. He also brings up the issue of suffering animals. He claims that just because they are non-human does not give humans the right to make them suffer. Singer states that animals have to suffer in their lifetime solely for "the gastronomic preferences of a human being" (312). Pollan considers Singer's ideas, but proposes another solution before converting to a strict vegetarian diet. He talks of Polyface Farm, in which animal happiness is abundant. He emailed Singer and asked him if it was ethical to eat a happily raised chicken. Even Singer replied, "I agree with you that it is better for these animals to have lived and died than not to have lived at all" (327). Pollan also explains how cows are slaughtered on the kill floor. When the cows are killed, usually the "gun" can kill them on the first shot. However, there is always a percent error of live cows still on the rail. Pollan suggests that there should be a law implemented showing the public what happens on the kill floor. Unethical treatment of animals would surely disappear, giving the animals "the consciousness, ceremony, and respect they deserve" (333).


I thought Singer's arguments about the equal consideration of animals was interesting. Singer's main purpose is to encourage the ethical treatment of animals and to persuade people to convert to vegetarianism. While I support the ethical treatment of animals, I find it hard to imagine a world where everyone is a vegetarian. I don't think it is practical, nor desirable, for the world to stop eating meat. Since we will continue to eat meat, I feel that animals should not suffer when being slaughtered on the kill floor. McDonald's five percent error of live cows on the rail should not be tolerated. There should be a law that reduces the tolerated percent error to less than one percent. What can consumers do to change the current tolerated percent error? Also, Pollan states that America is the only country that has this "brutal" food system. So why can't we slowly implement the processes of food industries in other countries?


Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma. New York: Penguin Books, 2007.