Animal liberation Quote by David Foster Wallace
““Is it possible that future generations will regard our present agribuisness and eating practices in much the same way we now view Nero's entertainments or Mengele's experiments? My own initial reaction is that such a comparison is hysterical, extreme - and yet the reason it seems extreme to me appears to be that I believe animals are less morally important than human behings; and when it comes to defending such a belief, even to myself, I have to acknowledge that (a) I have an obvious selfish interest in this belief, since I like to eat certain kinds of animals and want to be able to keep doing it, and (b) I haven't succeeded in working out any sort of personal ethical system in which the belief is truly defensible instead of just selfishly convenient.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Consider the Lobster, David Foster Wallace, 2004
The speaker questions whether future generations will judge current animal agriculture as we now judge historic atrocities, revealing personal moral conflict and self‑interest in eating meat.
In simple terms: Future may see meat production as immoral, exposing personal bias.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and examine selfish biases in ethical beliefs.
Themes
ethics
animal rights
self‑interest
morality
culture
Mood
reflective
critical
somber
Type
philosophical
ethical
analytical
When to use this quote
- dietary choices
- policy debates
- personal reflection
- activism
Key Concepts
moral relativism
cognitive dissonance
anthropocentrism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we develop an ethical framework that transcends personal desire?
- What criteria should guide our judgment of current practices?
A Different Perspective
The analogy may be hyperbolic, reducing complex issues to moral equivalence.
