Budapest Philosophy Group

Session #32 - Veganism: Environment, Health and Ethics

Thu, Jul 2 · 5:50 PM CEST

Kovász Kultúrbár, Budapest, Krúdy u 8, 1088, Budapest, HU

“If a being suffers, there can be no moral justification for refusing to take that suffering into consideration.”
― Peter Singer - Animal Liberation

Session in english! Also available on consciouspass.com for Karma Points.

According to Nature.com there is evidence of humans eating meat over 2,5 million years ago. But modern industrial societies have created a new ethical dilemma: is eating meat a viable human choice, or a moral issue?

In this session we will explore the philosophy of veganism and the question of whether animals deserve moral consideration comparable to humans.

We will examine different perspectives through anthropology, nutrition, environmental and moral arguments. Does meat consumption play a necessary role in health? Are plant-based diets morally clean? What is best for the environment and health? How much should biology influence ethics?

The discussion will also explore the moral arguments around animal suffering and responsibility, including ideas from thinkers such as Peter Singer and his critique of “speciesism” — the idea that belonging to a different species alone should not determine the value of a being’s interests.

The goal is not to reach an agreement, but to challenge our assumptions about food, morality, nature, and the relationship between humans and other animals.

Introduction of guests (15 minutes)
We start with a short introduction of the topic and of the guests

• Are you a vegan or vegetarian? for what reason?

Questions (1 hour and 45 minutes)

Veganism and enviroment

• Is it true that kettle producing is massively environmentally harmful?

1. Plant food going to kettle food
2. Land allocation
3. Water footprint
4. CO2 footprint

• The paradox between small scale and large scale. Large scale is cheaper, accessible and environmentally more efficient, but animals are generally in worst conditions.
• A tale about methane from wasted food.

Veganism and health

1. Some statistics: growth of veganism.
2. If eating meat improves health outcomes for some people or populations, does that create a moral justification to continue eating meat?
3. Should moral choices about food depend on scientific certainty?
   (Example: nutrition science changes frequently — how much evidence is enough?)
4. Is choosing a vegan diet a personal health decision, or should it become an ethical obligation?
5. If lab-grown meat becomes identical to animal meat but without killing animals, would both vegans and meat eaters accept the change?

Anthropology

1. If humans are naturally omnivores, does that justify eating meat?
   (“natural” vs “morally acceptable”)
2. Many traditional cultures hunted animals while also showing deep respect toward them. Is there a possibility to mimic this in our modern world?
3. Humans carry the full moral responsibility compared to other species, how sustainable is that?
4. Is having cats and dogs morally acceptable?

The moral questions:

1. Peter Singer argues that suffering matters regardless of species. If an animal can suffer, why should its suffering count less than human suffering?
2. Is “speciesism” comparable to other forms of discrimination, where we privilege our own group?
3. If we would never accept another intelligent species farming humans for food, why do we accept farming animals?

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RSVP: Please confirm your attendance here on Meetup OR consciouspass.com (get Karma Points for assisting!). In both cases, yield your space to another person in the waiting list.
We welcome donations from 1.000 HUF (min 400 HUF) to keep the costs of the meetup.
If you order food (vegetarian and vegan available), or alcohol-free wines, you dont need to donate for the group. Thank you!