Last semester I took Psychology and this semester I am in Sociology and Anthropology, the topics Pollan introduced about the cultural, and psychological aspects of food choice made a lot of sense to me since I could relate them to the things I've learned about in other courses. For example Pollan explains we relive the 'omnivore's dilemma' in deciding if eating meat is ethical. My dad always says "If God didn't want us to eat animals why did he make them out of meat?" This approach to Pollan's question is on the far end of the spectrum. The other end, the polar opposite, states that animals have feelings and rights just like people and deserve 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' without people trying to consume them. My opinion is people need to eat meat to survive and get all the nutrients they need. The circle of life includes living and die in accordance with the food chain. We should however, make our best attempts to be ethical and humane in the raising and processing of animals because they are capable of feeling pain and deserve this treatment.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Omnivore's Dilemma 287-333
This section discussed the approach by the omnivore in food selection. Pollan references a study done by Rozin, in which rats and humans were observed in the way they select what to eat. I found it interesting the way a rat will test a small piece of a substance and wait to see if it makes them sick. If it does, they are able to connect the sickness to the yucky food they ate a half hour before, and code this into their brains so it doesn't happen again. Humans do much of the same thing. If Jack In the Box made me sick, I would be very hesitant to try eating there again.
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I agree with you that we should be more responsible in the way animals are killed and harvested for food. The truth is our bodies are biologically designed to eat meat so weening meat out of our diets isn't an option for us. We must simply be more mindful to kill our animals in the most humane way as possible to which I agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that people should eat meat because it is as you said, "The circle of life includes living and dying..." it makes sense that we eat animals.... animal eat each other all the time... they even eat us sometimes... it is the way life is supposed to work.
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