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Were you aware of what is in the meat you're eating?
Questions to keep in mind :
Language in Vegetarianism Advertising
How does language shape the way we think?
How can specific terms interfere with our willingness to understand a vegetarian diet?
How do the words used to describe or justify vegetarianism affect our understanding and perception of it?
Language and Vegetarianism
In this manner stereotypes are created around the idea of a vegetarian diet. It is viewed as healthy, natural and "right", leaving all other diets..."wrong"?
In order to explain something, language is necessary. When explaining or justifying a meatless diet people tend to use words with strong positive or negative connotations such as:
BAD FOODS
So, what roles do emotions, reasoning and language play in the choosing of a vegetarian diet?
FAT
RIGHT
WRONG
Counter-Arguments
UNHEALTHY
ORGANIC
NATURAL
Emotions are a key factor used in the choosing of vegetarianism. They are tied with both language and reason, enhancing our conclusions/deductions with evidence only we can feel. However, they may differ severely from person to person and any justification using emotions is difficult to judge or understand.
HEALTHIER
All of these ideas presented are stereotypes created by people either pro-vegetarianism or severely against vegetarianism. If we use deductive or inductive reasoning, or logic of any kind to evaluate these claims, wouldn't we come to the conclusion that stereotypes do not hold any real value?
The reasoning behind choosing a meatless diet can depend on a person's past experiences, system of values, background and education.
REAL FOOD
HEALTHY
GOOD FOODS
Do these labels impede on our objective perception of this diet?
Language has a strong influence on people, especially where connotations and associations are concerned. This leads to the creation of certain stereotypes surrounding vegetarianism - which either motivates or demotivates prospective herbivores.
Inductive reasoning- producing a general conclusion from a specific case.
Deductive reasoning – leads to specific conclusions based on the weighing up of general principles.
The importance of the factor is dependent upon the person. It is difficult, if not impossible and irrational to judge, which of these is the most valuable.
Humans mostly rely on induction in everyday life to make decisions.
An example of this would be the change from an omnivorous diet to a strictly plant-based diet after prior experience, favoring a meatless diet.
Primary premise: Humans aim to be healthy.
Secondary premise: Diet is an important factor leading to overall health.
Conclusion: To be healthy, humans need to pay specific attention to their diets.
These are not necessarily true, as they are generalized premises.
Health – Logical reasoning and evidence leads to the conclusion that a healthy diet is mostly plant-based.
Animal Rights – Since animals are living beings, and it is wrong to kill living beings, eating animals is wrong.
Global Warming – A large amount of harmful gases are produced in cattle farming, which contribute to global warming. Lessening meat consumption will aid in slowing down negative effects of climate change.
Counter-Arguments
Vegetarianism : the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat – red meat, poultry, seafood and the flesh of any other animal.
Paleolithic diet – A diet imitating that of cavemen, who primarily ate meat and certain plants. Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, helps with weight loss and promotes optimum health.
Does the term "healthy" differ from person to person?
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-review-the-caveman-paleo-diet
Examples of Diet Subtypes:
http://www.theoryofknowledge.net/ways-of-knowing/reason/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michellemaisto/2012/04/28/eating-less-meat-is-worlds-best-chance-for-timely-climate-change-say-experts/
Vegetarianism Now
A study conducted by the Vegetarian Times showed that 7.3 million people in the USA are vegetarians.
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/global-warming.aspx
http://www.statisticbrain.com/vegetarian-statistics/
Emotions influence the way we shape our thoughts and make decisions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21258509
"A study of 44,500 people in England and Scotland showed vegetarians were 32% less likely to die or need hospital treatment as a result of heart disease."- BBC News (July 2013)
"This study suggests that vegetarian diets may decrease the incidence of all cancers combined and these preliminary results particularly show a decreased risk of female-specific cancers (vegans) when compared with non-vegetarians, and gastrointestinal cancers (lacto-ovo-vegetarians)." -Gary Fraser, MD, PhD - Loma Linda University (December 2012)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism
Six primary emotions:
1. Happiness
2. Sadness
3. Fear
4. Anger
5. Surprise
6. Disgust
Emotions tied with choosing a meatless diet :
'A staggering 51 percent or more of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture, according to a report published by the Worldwatch Institute.' - PETA.org
'According to the United Nations, raising animals for food is "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." ' -PETA.org
So, when someone justifies a diet with emotional involvement, is this a rational, acceptable argument?
Counter-Arguments
Everyone experiences emotions differently. Something that makes someone sad, for instance the death of a cow, can not have any emotional effect on someone else.
Emotional scales vary from person to person.
Are emotions a valid justification for a diet? How can we test this validity?
Does a diet need to be justified?
Emotions cannot be tested in an unbiased manner since everyone's perception of the world is different.