Ethical Difference Between Veggie and Vegan

What is the main ethical difference between being vegetarian and being vegan - is there a big difference between the two, or how do you see it?

If you are a vegan, do you eat non-vegan - vegetarian - occasionally,
or is it something you are strict about?

[psychoslice]

It depends on who's ethics you are talking about, what is ethical to one may not be to another, so we can never use ethics in this situation, because its just your own judgment.

[muileag]

Many people choose to eat vegetarian or vegan for reasons that have nothing to do with "ethics."

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by muileag

Many people choose to eat vegetarian or vegan for reasons that have nothing to do with "ethics."

Yes this is true, and I'm one of those, and I don't ever push my eating habits onto others.

Personally, I'm vegetarian because I don't want to be responsible for the death of any animal. No animal has to die for me to eat milk, eggs or honey (I know that because of the way many farmers work there is a lot of cruelty and death involved in producing milk/eggs etc. but there doesn't have to be).

That's what I think. What do you think?

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Ecthalion

Personally, I'm vegetarian because I don't want to be responsible for the death of any animal. No animal has to die for me to eat milk, eggs or honey (I know that because of the way many farmers work there is a lot of cruelty and death involved in producing milk/eggs etc. but there doesn't have to be).

That's what I think. What do you think?

Ya know what happens to the baby cows in the dairy industry.

Originally Posted by Gem

Ya know what happens to the baby cows in the dairy industry.

Yes, but it needn't.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Ecthalion

Yes, but it needn't.

I think they feel it's needed... something about the calf and the milk... not sure of the details there, but they want the milk and the calves are discarded as a waste product... and to my mind, that raises an ethical dilemma.

[Albalida]

Have you read The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith? I highly recommend the first chapter that tackles the morality of veganism, but the rest of the book is shady in terms of facts about nutrition and politics.

Basically, moral vegetarians and moral vegans draw the line at different places. Vegetarians believe that an animal shouldn't have died so that they can live. Vegans believe that an animal shouldn't have been harmed so that they can live.

Personally, I go by vibration. Most times, most fish meat is okay by me and most times most chicken eggs are really not okay by me. I can't quite explain why.

Ecthalion - I feel similar to how you described. I'm not fully vegetarian though. I'd have some organic seafood now and then.
I don't buy anything dairy, unless it's raw, and the same with honey. Eggs I buy regularly, but only if free-range and organic.

Someone mentioned earlier that it's not about ethics...
The way I see it, the world would be a better place if everyone shopped local and organic as much as possible. I'm not vegan, for example, but would never buy battery-farmed eggs.

Albalida - I haven't read this book, but did read the first chapter a while ago, but had forgotten, so thanks for mentioning it. She makes some good points. Here's the link for anyone else interested:
http://www.lierrekeith.com/book-ex_t...arian-myth.php