Mr. Crummet What is the best philosophical defense of altruism over egoism for you? I have been seeing in my region a increment of egoist thinking and me a altruistic person wish defender my posture
Also, EA people denounce factory farms all the time, but does it mean that they approve of non-factory farms ? In other words, do they think that throat slashing is ethical on happy victims ?
Veganism and vegetarianism are wildly overrepresented among EAs, and generally food at EA events (e.g., EAGs) is exclusively vegan. But you will find differing opinions (e.g., some people may be convinced by Peter Singer style arguments about humane farming). The reason for focusing on factory farming is that it is of so much greater scale, causes so much more suffering, and is more clearly indefensible.
Seems wrong to mention the environmental and health problems caused by factory farms. Sounds like mentioning that the slave trade or Auschwitz was environmentally destructive and unhealthy for the SS. Also, factory farming is better for the environment than extensive farming, that's literally the point of factory farming : being more resource effective in order to produce more and cheaper. Also animal products have the same health effects whether or not they come from factory farms or not. So EA needs to update a bit there.
I agree that the impact on farmed animals is by far the worst consequence of factory farming, but mentioning the other negative impacts is useful from the perspective of convincing people who are initially skeptical of animal welfare as a cause area. Animal agriculture is bad for the environment in general, and FF allows much more of it than would otherwise be possible. As compared to extensive animal agriculture, I suppose it's worse in some ways and better in others. The special public health threat from FF comes mostly from its role in increasing pandemic risk.
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Mr. Crummet What is the best philosophical defense of altruism over egoism for you? I have been seeing in my region a increment of egoist thinking and me a altruistic person wish defender my posture
Also, EA people denounce factory farms all the time, but does it mean that they approve of non-factory farms ? In other words, do they think that throat slashing is ethical on happy victims ?
Veganism and vegetarianism are wildly overrepresented among EAs, and generally food at EA events (e.g., EAGs) is exclusively vegan. But you will find differing opinions (e.g., some people may be convinced by Peter Singer style arguments about humane farming). The reason for focusing on factory farming is that it is of so much greater scale, causes so much more suffering, and is more clearly indefensible.
Seems wrong to mention the environmental and health problems caused by factory farms. Sounds like mentioning that the slave trade or Auschwitz was environmentally destructive and unhealthy for the SS. Also, factory farming is better for the environment than extensive farming, that's literally the point of factory farming : being more resource effective in order to produce more and cheaper. Also animal products have the same health effects whether or not they come from factory farms or not. So EA needs to update a bit there.
I agree that the impact on farmed animals is by far the worst consequence of factory farming, but mentioning the other negative impacts is useful from the perspective of convincing people who are initially skeptical of animal welfare as a cause area.
Animal agriculture is bad for the environment in general, and FF allows much more of it than would otherwise be possible. As compared to extensive animal agriculture, I suppose it's worse in some ways and better in others.
The special public health threat from FF comes mostly from its role in increasing pandemic risk.