“But You Can’t Compare Human Suffering with Animal Suffering!”
Settling an age-old debate once and for all.
Whether you’re vegan, anti-vegan or something in between — this article is for you. We live in times of rampant disinformation and literally nobody benefits from an uninformed debate. In the interest of a functioning ‘marketplace of ideas,’ let’s be civil and listen to each other. Your critical feedback is always welcome.
It’s well known that our society does things to animals that we would never want to experience ourselves. The unspeakable fear and suffering that animals endure in modern livestock production are something you wouldn’t bear even for the greatest rewards in life, let alone for a few bites of food. The “toughest” meat eaters out there would collapse if they had to experience even a fraction of the suffering that farmed animals are going through for the meat on their plates. This is not even controversial, most people understand that this is true.
But how can we justify this cruelty, in a society where we tell our children to “treat others as you want to be treated”?
The only logical explanation is that we greatly devalue animal suffering compared to human suffering, if we acknowledge it at all. In discussions about veganism, people often brush off references to horrific cruelty in the livestock industry by arguing that animal suffering simply cannot be compared with human suffering.
But what if this excuse, which underpins our ruthless exploitation of trillions of animals, is flawed — or even completely baseless? I’m here to prove that’s exactly the case. In fact, like most arguments used to justify animal exploitation, this one is not just wrong on one count but fundamentally flawed on multiple levels.
Whatever your views on the issue, at least be brave enough to look at the facts and be honest with yourself. If you’re curious for more, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter.👇
“You can’t compare human suffering with animal suffering” — FACT-CHECKED
While the claim that animal suffering cannot be compared with human suffering may reflect a common belief, it is important to understand that it isn’t grounded in solid reasoning. Here is why:
(1) Scientific consensus on animal sentience
Humans are animals. There is no scientific evidence whatsoever to suggest that the human capacity to suffer is superior to that of other animals. In 2012, leading neuroscientists signed the “Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness” — an official statement confirming that all mammals and birds, as well as many other animals, possess the neurological substrates for consciousness, just like humans. Just four months ago, these findings were underscored for “all vertebrates and many invertebrates” by the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness. A team of scientists, who reviewed over 2,500 studies on the subject, concluded: “Evidence for animal sentience is everywhere.”
(2) Capacity to suffer doesn’t depend on intelligence
While it would be misleading to portray humanity as a super-intelligent species — especially considering that we are on the brink of needlessly destroying the planet and our own future — it is true that farmed animals score lower on conventional intelligence measures than most humans. It is important to recognize, however, that the capacity to suffer does not depend on intelligence. Toddlers are also less intelligent than we are, yet it is universally accepted that they are capable of sensations such as hunger, boredom, joy, sadness, loneliness, fear, and pain. The same goes for people with mental impairment. A person’s level of intelligence clearly doesn’t determine or eradicate their capacity to suffer. We have not the slightest reason to assume it is any different for cows, pigs, sheep, turkeys, chickens, etc.
(3) Situational awareness is no prerequisite for suffering
Farmed animals may not understand exactly what is happening to them — or why — but does that lessen their suffering? Many kidnapping victims don’t know what is happening to them or why, yet no sane person would ever trivialize their fear and suffering based on that. Even without understanding the context, animals’ reactions make it clear that they are in fear and pain, and acutely aware of their danger and the threat of death. Moreover, many cruel conditions, such as extreme heat, cramped spaces, lack of air, and constant stress, are inherently painful and distressing regardless of the animal’s understanding.
(4) The suffering of non-human animals could be more intense than ours
If you insist on assuming — without any evidence — that the capacity to suffer of non-human animals is different from ours, why would you automatically assume it means their suffering is less than ours? It could just as easily be the opposite. Their heightened senses and unique fears and sensitivities, whether on a species or individual level, could lead to conditions that far surpass our worst nightmares.
“Anyhow, I still value human lives over animal lives” — FACT-CHECKED
Even when they acknowledge the atrocities committed in livestock farming, and even when confronted with the points presented above, many people insist that human well-being is simply more important than animal welfare. And they use this as an excuse to continue paying for animal abuse.
They overlook something crucial: Avoiding unnecessary harm to animals and protecting human well-being are not mutually exclusive — in fact, these goals go hand in hand:
- The livestock sector is a nightmare for humans as well.
Livestock farming doesn’t only harm animals and the environment, but also poses severe risks to human well-being. Factory farms often create hazardous working conditions, exposing workers to dangerous environments and extreme exploitation. The widespread use of antibiotics in animal farming contributes to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Additionally, livestock production is a leading driver of pandemic risk and world hunger. The industry’s devastating impacts on climate and environment will also take a huge toll on human life worldwide if we don’t act quickly to prevent them. - We don’t need animal products to be healthy.
Population studies have shown that we are healthier without them. Meaning: we don’t have to decide between protecting our own species and treating (other) animals with respect. It’s not an either-or issue. We can and should do both.
If people prioritize human lives over animal lives in an either-or emergency situation (e.g., saving their relatives from a burning house before saving their dog), that is certainly a justifiable decision.
But using this argument to justify paying for needless animal abuse is nothing but an empty excuse for a deeply irresponsible choice. In fact, the excuse is less than empty. It is completely paradoxical, because buying animal products harms what they purport to care about: human lives.
Conclusion
If, in the future, a research team were to conclusively prove that animals experience fear and pain just as intensely — or even more so — than humans, it would not come as a surprise but rather confirm what leading scientists in the field already point to.
Do we really want to be the ones who only realize then that we’ve based the cruel exploitation of trillions of animals on such a flimsy argument?
There is not a single shred of evidence to suggest that animal suffering is any less real than human suffering. Using invented hierarchies to justify cruelty against non-human animals is heartless, unfounded, and gravely irresponsible.
“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.”
— Paul Farmer
Fortunately, we don’t have to choose between one evil and another; instead, we can reject them all at once. Whether you care about animal welfare, climate and environmental protection, or about safeguarding humans lives, vegan is the way to go. Avoiding animal products is certainly not all we can do for a better world, but for anyone against needless violence and destruction, it should be a moral baseline.
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