Hare ethics

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Publication Information

  • Essays on Bioethics by R. M. Hare published by Clarendon Press, Oxford.

  • Printed digitally to ensure ongoing availability.

  • Rights reserved; reproduction requires prior permission or legal exemptions.

  • ISBN: 0-19-823678-6

Personal Dietary Journey

Early Experiences

  • R. M. Hare begins with a dietetic autobiography.

  • Normal British upbringing; acquired taste for curries during service in the Indian Army (1940).

  • Prisoner of war in 1942 after Singapore's fall; anticipated poor health from lack of meat.

Diet During Captivity

  1. Initial Period (Singapore):

    • Consisted mainly of polished rice, minimal vegetables, and meat.

    • Resulted in deficiency diseases due to unbalanced carbohydrate-heavy diet.

  2. Burma Railway Work:

    • Food scarcity led to diseases and high mortality rates (20-40%).

  3. Return to Singapore:

    • Improved vegetable gardens; included legumes leading to better nutrition despite low calories (800 per day).

    • Post-war weight loss: 30 pounds; later returned to normal weight through vegetable gardening.

Transition to Demi-Vegetarianism

  • Post-marriage discussions (1947) about diet focused on children; resumed normal diet.

  • Shift towards growing vegetables; became largely demi-vegetarian without moral reasons initially.

  • Influence of Peter Singer prompted reconsideration of meat consumption for moral reasons.

Ethical Considerations

Moral Philosophy Blend

  • Hare develops a Kantian-utilitarian ethical theory:

    • Kant's Categorical Imperative coexists with utilitarianism regarding treatment of non-human animals.

    • Ethical principles support moral consideration for all sentient beings.

Dietary Arguments

  1. Health Arguments:

    • Previous experiences support healthy living without meat, yet emphasize need for protein.

    • Advocates for moderate consumption of selected meats due to health factors (e.g., diabetes).

  2. Economic Considerations:

    • More efficient to grow crops for direct human consumption than to produce animal feed.

    • Acknowledges land not suitable for crops can support livestock.

Moral Duty to Animals

  • Distinction between killing animals and causing suffering.

  • Overall harm vs. benefit assessment of animal husbandry practices is crucial.

  • Living happy lives may justify the moral complexity of animal husbandry.

Final Considerations

  • Fruits of demi-vegetarianism show potential health benefits without a need for total vegetarianism.

  • Public awareness and demand reduction might improve animal welfare in agriculture.

  • Calls for better transparency and ethical sourcing in the food supply chain.

Conclusion

  • Recommends promoting demi-vegetarianism over full vegetarianism due to practical implications.

  • Calls for collaboration between philosophers and ecologists to tackle the complex issues of animal welfare and dietary ethics.

The author, R. M. Hare, is defending a position that advocates for demi-vegetarianism, which supports the moderate consumption of selected meats while emphasizing ethical considerations regarding the treatment of non-human animals. He blends Kantian and utilitarian ethical theories to argue for moral consideration of all sentient beings, suggesting that a practical approach to dietary choices can improve health while reducing animal suffering.