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I agree that historical or evolutionary precedent is no reason to either support or reject something. Unfortunately, everyone's life will have some impact on animals. We destroy their habitats when we build our homes, roads, shops, and factories that make the shit we buy. When we farm crops we displace or kill them to maximise yield. I'm not convinced that killing animals for food is fundamentally different from killing animals for any of the reasons above. We don't need to eat meat, but then we don't need to play golf or buy iphones (etc. etc.) either, both of which will have quite some impact on animals and their environment.
It's not unreasonable to argue that we shouldn't bring animals into the world just for the purposes of killing them later, but when we do so we make a tacit contract with the animal that we will provide it with a life that is as natural, comfortable and safe as possible and a quick stress-free death at the end of it. As a result many domesticated animals live much happier lives than their wild cousins.
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I disagree ancestral and evolutionary factor are very strong... It's our genetics that determine our urges and that what a cravings are.
Remember that meat and carbs would have been seasonal and we have been hardwired to gorge on such things when they are in plentiful supply to benefit us during difficult times.
The way we put on fat for example is very different from area to area... the indian subcontinent for example historically had a famine/draught every 7 years or so. This visceral fat that would have been utilised during this time is now the cause of high rates of diabetes and heart disease much more then the wider population. The same can be said of Arabs that have replaced sheep/goat herding and fishing with wafting around airconditioned shopping malls will fast food and desert bars. Kuwait has a population that one third diabetics. -
We need to seriously assess our domestic pets... firstly the lack of genetic diversity has caused horrendous medical issues and often we have no choice but to put them down eventually.
We've got to a stage were breeds such as bulldog can't even mate with each other without human intervention because we have breed certain feature that we required or preferred. Quite strange.
Inbreeding is also a problem with humans too, to less of a degree.
I doubt that domestic pet have happier lives them wild ones... possibly less stressful tho. -
We destroy their habitats when we build our homes, roads, shops, and factories that make the shit we buy.
This is obviously a problem and not ideal.
But to me it is on a completely different scale to the endless cycle of abuse we inflict upon farm animals.
So many generations confined to the fate that we've set for them... I think it's sad. Especially as we're in a country that is privileged enough to offer an alternative, as has already been mentioned.
that's sort of my sentiments anyway.
Apologies for the ramble.
The ancestral angle holds no water for me. Our ancestors probably literally flung shit at each other like chimps, murdered each other with impunity, and I except only a small fraction of children were conceived with both parties "consenting".
In modern times no one needs to eat meat or dairy to survive, so what our ancestors did is not relevant. You might as well say "our ancestors threw shit at other so I'm going to start doing that".
Of course, I'm not saying that everyone should become vegan. There are plenty of reasons not to do so, some better than others, some of which you also mentioned in your comment. Just pointing out that the fact that our ancestors did it doesn't mean anything at all when it comes to what we should be doing today.
Anyway, here's some general advice for everyone from a recent vegan:
Soz for the essay all, just dump of relevant info out of my brain.