Exam 49: Tom Regan

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -According to Regan, vegetarianism may be morally required in light of global hunger.

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -According to Regan, modern crop production makes intensive use of:

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -According to the philosopher Rene Descartes, animals like pigs, chickens, and cows are:

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -Petrochemical plants pollute the air:

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -Like crop agriculture, farm animal agriculture is chemically intensive.

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -How might some of the issues Regan raises be best addressed politically in your view? Explain your answer.

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -The problem of pollution has a relatively simple political solution according to Regan.

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -According to Regan, "dead" lakes are caused by:

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -According to the philosopher Rene Descartes, we have a duty to treat animals ethically.

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -According to Regan, the treatment farm animals receive raises moral questions because:

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -According to economic theories of value, animal species have intrinsic value.

Tom Regan: We Are What We Eat In "We Are What We Eat," Tom Regan discusses a number of health and environmental consequences of food production and identifies some of the moral questions these consequences raise. Regan begins by describing the extensive of use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in modern agriculture. Traces of these dangerous chemicals can remain in the food we eat and surface runoffs can contaminate the water we drink. Moreover, the industrial production of these chemicals in petrochemical plants pollutes the air we breathe and contributes to phenomena like acid rain and dead lakes. These effects threaten not only our own health, but that of future generations as well. Regan therefore asks whether we are doing enough to protect the interests of generations yet to come. Chemical use is also extensive in the meat industry, where factory farms subject pigs, chickens, and cows to a range of growth stimulants and antibiotics. This again raises concerns about the effects of chemical residue in our food, but factory farms raise other issues as well. For one, they are inefficient in that the amount of protein they produce in meat products is less than the amount of vegetable protein they consume in animal feed. In a world where millions of people die of starvation every year, Regan asks whether such a wasteful method of producing food is morally acceptable. Moreover, there is the question of the treatment of farm animals themselves. Factory farms condemn millions of conscious beings to lives of frustration and misery every year. For Regan, any morally serious examination of modern food production must take the treatment of these animals into consideration. Regan also raises moral questions regarding wild animals, which are increasingly endangered because of chemical contamination of the environment and habitat destruction caused by urban growth. Do animal species have a value independent to human interests (including economic interests) that makes their survival a good thing? -Because it puts people in general at the risk of harm, Regan refers to pollution as a: