Since 2014, the debate over the significance of veganism has gained popularity. Some individuals argue that being vegan has no benefit to oneself, while others think that veganism is beneficial in stopping animal exploitation and has a positive impact. I personally side with the statement that veganism has no benefits and is generally impractical because the ethical reasons of being vegan are flawed, and being vegan may negatively affect an individual’s health.
Veganism is a practice that involves not eating foods made from animals or animal products. For example, some foods that an individual who is vegan would not eat are meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, and honey. The main reason people switch to veganism is due to the belief that it prevents the exploitation of animals and supports the belief that all sentient creatures have a right to life and freedom.
I believe that this logic is flawed for three main reasons. Firstly, where does one draw the line between what is a sentient creature and what is not? Both plants and animals are living organisms, so what makes eating a plant more ethically right than eating an animal? Take fungi, for example. There have been cases where fungi have used electrical signals that work similarly to animal neurons to communicate with each other and therefore showed a form of “sentience”. In other words, by following the belief of not eating sentient creatures, there might be nothing left for humans to eat at all.
Secondly, even if humans were to stop eating foods that are made from animals or animal products, animals would still be eaten by other animals. Meaning animal suffering would still not be eliminated. Is there really a difference between watching a fox eat a rabbit and eating that rabbit yourself? In the end, the rabbit still suffers and dies. Humans might even be able to lessen the suffering of the rabbit if they were to end its life quickly.
Finally, veganism could also harm the health of those who decide to follow a vegan lifestyle. To specify, it is very easy to become malnourished when only eating plant-based foods. It makes no sense to help someone or something if the action harms oneself.
In conclusion, I think being vegan makes no sense, as the ethical reason–the main reason people decide to become vegan–has flawed logic as the line between sentient and non-sentient creatures is unclear, animal suffering would still continue even if all humans stopped eating foods made from animals or animal products, and living a vegan lifestyle could harm the health of the individual.
THE NORTH STAR 