CLH Talks: Should Humanists Eat Meat? — Dr Sapna Ramnani

An ethical exploration of compassion, culture, and choice.

Humanism asks us to live ethically using reason, evidence, and compassion. But what happens when those values meet one of our most everyday habits: eating meat?

In this talk, humanist speaker and journalist Dr. Sapna Ramnani invites us to step back from slogans, guilt, and culture-war arguments, and instead ask a deeper question:

If humanism is about reducing suffering and increasing wellbeing, whose suffering counts, and how far does our moral circle extend?

Drawing on philosophy, psychology, animal welfare evidence, and humanist ethics, this talk explores why the meat question provokes such strong emotions, how distance and habit shape our moral blind spots, and whether our ethical frameworks have kept pace with what we now know about animal sentience and industrial farming.

This is not a talk about telling anyone what to eat.

It is a reflective, humanist exploration of moral responsibility, compassion, and choice.

What we’ll explore:

• What humanism actually commits us to ethically
• Why meat-eating sits at the crossroads of identity, culture, and morality
• The role of “ethical” labels and animal welfare frameworks
• Psychological distancing and why suffering is easy to ignore
• Whether concepts like “farmed with care” withstand ethical scrutiny
• Coherent humanist positions on meat: reduction, contextual eating, and abstention
• The talk acknowledges real-world constraints, culture, health, access, economics, and rejects moral purity tests. Instead, it invites honest reflection, ethical curiosity, and compassion toward others and ourselves.

Who is this talk for?
Humanists interested in ethics, philosophy, and moral consistency
Anyone curious about animal ethics without dogma or judgment
People who enjoy thoughtful discussion and reflective talks
There will be time for questions and discussion.
You are not being asked to agree, only to think.

We kindly request a contribution of £5 for lecture events to help cover marketing and venue hire costs.

Format for the evening:

• Arrive from 6.30pm for drinks at the charity wine bar
• 7pm talk by Sapna
• 7.45 comfort break and drinks from the bar
• All profits go to Sapna’s charity choice — Brent and Harrow Remap
• After the talk we invite you to join us at The Queens Head and Artichoke for friendly conversation and to continue the discussion. The pub is a short walk away, located at 30-32 Albany Street, NW1 4EA