Are there Moral Justifications for Consumption of Meat?
Emily Ineson
Recipient of the Judge’s Choice Award for Psychology Research
The demands of the human population are exponentially increasing while environmentally friendly behaviors are decreasing. Consequently, we face urgent threats to our planet’s future because of climate change. A significant factor contributing to climate change is industrialized meat production. Therefore, it is critical to better understand the reasons for meat consumption, such as how meat-eaters justify their dietary choices. The question “Is there any morally good response to, why do you eat meat?” was posted as a thread on Reddit and the resulting 85 comments were examined and organized into five themes by thematic analysis. The most common theme was Culture, justifying meat-eating behavior through references to religion, socio-economic status, livelihood, and traditions. Health was the next most frequent theme, explaining that meat provides nutrients that would be denied with a vegetarian diet. Subjective Immorality and Moral Limit were the next two themes identified. The first suggesting morality is subjective and therefore, Redditors cannot answer the question because meat-eating is not a moral issue. In Moral Limit, Redditors accept meat consumption as immoral, but argue it is impossible to only commit moral actions as we all fall short. As the last theme, Enjoyment, a small amount of people dismissed the question by saying they enjoy eating meat and have no responsibility to explain that. This research offers a deeper understanding of how meat-eaters justify their actions and, subsequently, ideas on how we can combat these reasonings. For example, the findings suggest where resources should be allocated, such as lowering the price of meat substitutes, in the ongoing attempt to diminish effects of climate change through decreasing meat consumption.
Emily Ineson is a senior psychology major from London, England. While at Lander University, she has been a member of the Psi Chi Honor Society, a supplemental instructor and tutor for psychology courses, and an athlete on the women’s tennis team. She is planning to begin her Ph.D. in Psychological Science in August 2023 and is aspiring for a career in social psychology research. Currently, she is working with several professors on research projects.