Discussion Would you eat the pig that wants to be eaten?

[Soumatou]

Came across this passage from the book "The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher" by gyannidhi

"After forty years of vegetarianism, Max
Berger was about to sit down to a feast of
pork sausages, crispy bacon and pan-fried
chicken breast. Max had always missed the
taste of meat, but his principles were
stronger than his culinary cravings. But now
he was able to eat meat with a clear
conscience.
The sausages and bacon had come from a
pig called Priscilla he had met the week
before. The pig had been genetically
engineered to be able to speak and, more
importantly, to want to be eaten. Ending up
on a human's table was Priscilla's lifetime
ambition and she woke up on the day of her
slaughter with a keen sense of anticipation.
She had told all this to Max just before
rushing off to the comfortable and humane
slaughterhouse. Having heard her story,
Max thought it would be disrespectful not to
eat her.
The chicken had come from a genetically
modified bird which had been
'decerebrated'. In other words, it lived the
life of a vegetable, with no awareness of
self, environment, pain or pleasure. Killing it
was therefore no more barbarous than
uprooting a carrot.
Yet as the plate was placed before him,
Max felt a twinge of nausea. Was this just a
reflex reaction, caused by a lifetime of
vegetarianism? Or was it the physical sign of
a justifiable psychic distress? Collecting
himself, he picked up his knife and fork …"​

( pdf of the book )


Personally, the fact the pig could talk toes the psychological line of cannibalism and things in nature that want to be eaten are almost always parasitic. I would probably still eat it but under psychic distress like Max. Without the prior knowledge I would have eaten the pig anyway without without knowing its intentions or desires.

 

[Forever Sleep]

From a practical point of view- it would be unwise I think. Longer- term vegetarian's digestive systems become used to a plant based diet. I've been vegetarian a few years. I once made a mistake with a take away order. While I don't like throwing out food, I was in the middle of a big work project so- I couldn't exactly afford to be ill. I decided to remove the meat and, eat the rest- but, I still struggled to digest it.

So- it would seem better to talk to this talking pig- thank them for the offer but say- I'll be ill if I eat you. But, I'm sure someone else would be glad to.

It's similar to whether it's offensive to turn down eating a home baked cake- if we are on a diet- in some ways. People do sometimes take offence but then- they surely ought to support the other person's right to choose.

My company once ordered in food for my birthday- which was extremely kind. I had gallstone issues at the time though. I knew that the bulk of what was there would induce intense pain if I risked eating it. So- I didn't. I cut up a gorgeous smelling chocolate cake without being able to eat any of it. (Without risking being in agony. Picture the most severe leg cramp you've had- in your chest. Literally debilitating pain.)

From that perspective- the pig is like an evil seductor... 'Eat me- even if it will make you ill'... Why should they want that? That isn't a kind thing to want. So therefore- it seems reasonable to pass.

Plus- just because that pig is happy to be slaughtered and eaten, it doesn't mean all pigs are. Give all of them the ability to speak. I doubt they would all be so compliant!

There wouldn't be a shortage of people happy to eat the pig too. It's not like their wish couldn't be granted by someone else.

I suppose it could change the grounds for vegetarianism/ veganism- if animals gave their free permission to be eaten. I mainly quit meat/ fish because I couldn't stand the thought of them suffering.

That's the other side to it though. It's not just whether animals are killed humanely- without feeling stress, fear, pain. It's also about how they are kept during their lives. In this scenario, the pig presumably lived a good life. How many animals bred for the table live a good life? That's also why people choose the vegetarian/ vegan life. It's not just that creatures we eat don't give their permission to become our lunch. It's because we know cruelty is rife within the meat/ fish industry.

And, even if animals are free- why would they give their permission to be eaten? Would a zebra say to the lion- sure- you can eat my newly born child? Sure- you can eat me?

If this pig was living a good, happy life- why would it want to be eaten anyway?