(Not being overly contentious here. Please don't read it that way)
Many plant species, as the above poster alluded to, are at least as "sentient" as an oyster or other "lower order" animals. They respond to stimuli, etc.
There's also fungi. Again I could make a very compelling argument that many fungi are at least parallel with animals such as oysters on the scale of sentience.
Dietary reasons are one thing, I just mean on the side of "I don't want to eat an animal" how many people would say that but never object to eating mushrooms?
Is there a diet that clearly defines acceptable animals to eat based on perceived sentience? This would probably be my strongest argument against strict veganism. It's possible to be a non-vegan who eats animals like oysters, maybe snails, maybe even insects. Kinda spirals into "here's a small book I wrote on what animals I've personally deemed ok to eat" but I think the overall point is clear hopefully.
The reason I don't eat oysters as a vegan is because carnists are always looking for wedge issues and loopholes for why their favourite treat animal is actually fine to eat. When I'm out with friends and someone asks "you don't even eat oysters?" I say "no." specifically so that they don't get to say "oh well carpoftruth the vegan eats oysters but they're a super vegan so it's probably still fine for me to eat fish and look down on the steak eaters." Fuck that, I'm not giving them that satisfaction. They can carry their own water.
(Not being overly contentious here. Please don't read it that way)
Many plant species, as the above poster alluded to, are at least as "sentient" as an oyster or other "lower order" animals. They respond to stimuli, etc.
There's also fungi. Again I could make a very compelling argument that many fungi are at least parallel with animals such as oysters on the scale of sentience.
Dietary reasons are one thing, I just mean on the side of "I don't want to eat an animal" how many people would say that but never object to eating mushrooms?
Is there a diet that clearly defines acceptable animals to eat based on perceived sentience? This would probably be my strongest argument against strict veganism. It's possible to be a non-vegan who eats animals like oysters, maybe snails, maybe even insects. Kinda spirals into "here's a small book I wrote on what animals I've personally deemed ok to eat" but I think the overall point is clear hopefully.
The reason I don't eat oysters as a vegan is because carnists are always looking for wedge issues and loopholes for why their favourite treat animal is actually fine to eat. When I'm out with friends and someone asks "you don't even eat oysters?" I say "no." specifically so that they don't get to say "oh well carpoftruth the vegan eats oysters but they're a super vegan so it's probably still fine for me to eat fish and look down on the steak eaters." Fuck that, I'm not giving them that satisfaction. They can carry their own water.