How do you respond to the claim that humans evolved as meat eaters?

[Andy Brown]

I often come across people pointing out humans evolved primarily as meat eaters. “So, it’s absolutely fine and natural tendency of humans to eat meat.” One could make the same claim that we evolved as rapists, murderers, slave owners, and many other things. Just because we've done something for a long time doesn't mean we should continue to do it, especially when it causes suffering and is unsustainable. What does it mean to "evolve as" something, anyway?
When you know better, do better. There is overwhelming evidence that we should stop eating animals for ethical, environmental, and health reasons.

 

[Andy_T]

Seems you answered your own question perfectly

 

[Andy Brown]

LOL! Right! wanted to know other vegan's thoughts also
.

 

[Second Summer]

I often come across people pointing out humans evolved primarily as meat eaters. “So, it’s absolutely fine and natural tendency of humans to eat meat.” One could make the same claim that we evolved as rapists, murderers, slave owners, and many other things. Just because we've done something for a long time doesn't mean we should continue to do it, especially when it causes suffering and is unsustainable. What does it mean to "evolve as" something, anyway?
When you know better, do better. There is overwhelming evidence that we should stop eating animals for ethical, environmental, and health reasons.

Rape and murder have always been considered to be unacceptable practices in all human societies, so the comparison isn't valid. Meat eating has been an almost universal practice, with the exception of India where vegetarianism has been practised for a couple of thousand years, which in evolutionary terms isn't terribly long. What is surprising is that we haven't adapted better to meat eating. I suspect the reason is we have eaten a lot less meat than is commonly believed about our ancestors.

I think if there is one characteristic which is typical of humans in evolution, it is our malleability. We have adapted to a huge variety of diets and environments, more than any other animal. Which means we should have no trouble at all adapting to a vegan diet. (With the exception of B12 which we will need to supplement - no big deal.)

(I too of course agree that ethical progress is more important than tradition.)

 

[Andy_T]

Rape and murder have always been considered to be unacceptable practices in all human societies, so the comparison isn't valid.

Not really. When you talk about humans evolving through eating meat, you are talking about prehistoric times, neolithic and earlier. We know too little from that time to determine whether rape and murder were unacceptable then.

 

[ledboots]

The omni arguers are just trying to muffle their unrecognized guilt over being a part of such a revolting and cruel food supply chain.

 

[Second Summer]

Not really. When you talk about humans evolving through eating meat, you are talking about prehistoric times, neolithic and earlier. We know too little from that time to determine whether rape and murder were unacceptable then.

If we don't know, then neither can we say that murder and rape ever were acceptable, so we still can't make that comparison.

What we do know is that murder and rape are detrimental to society, and as such a society could not last very long if it accepted these practises. Of course, it's a different matter in conflict between societies, i.e. war. But if we kill someone in war, it's not "murder", it's just a regular "kill", which to this day remains an accepted practise. On the other hand, rape as part of war is not accepted now, but it probably was in the olden days.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I think that we may have evolved to like biting into meat...biting into seitan is nice anyway...and some chocolate bars.

 

[Capstan]

Evolution responds to the environment, and, as the environment changes, evolution can change too, back and forth. In the past, when man has pursued eating meat, it has made him nomadic, a follower of herds; when he has pursued agriculture, he has settled, and created civilizations.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Rape and murder is quite an extreme comparison, but racism, sexism, and war, were all once an integral part of human society and I think the comparison works better there.

Another argument is that it may have been an inevitable part of human evolution to eat meat, but that doesn't mean it's the right choice now.

Another way to address it could be to say that it's a fair point, but the ethical and environmental concerns around animal rights and welfare are much more important.

 

[Andy_T]

The easiest way is likely to say that while many believed it to be ok some long time ok, now we have evolved to know better...

 

[robert99]

"

Evolution responds to the environment, and, as the environment changes, evolution can change too, back and forth. In the past, when man has pursued eating meat, it has made him nomadic, a follower of herds; when he has pursued agriculture, he has settled, and created civilizations.

civilizations?
"a perceived separation from and domination over the natural enviroment by a cultural elite" Civilization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Mr Crunchy]

Eating meat definitely helped us survive as a species, I think, due to our ability to adapt to almost any environment and habitat. There are arguments that eating meat increased human intelligence due to the superior intellect required to hunt. I'm a little more doubtful about that, but it's possible.

However, this fact is often used by omnivores as a rationalization that we have to eat meat. Because we evolved to do so. There's really no argument to be made either way, we are not slaves to our evolution. Except for Daylight Savings Time. That contradicts the evolution of our circadian rhythms and should be done away with. But so does the alarm clock to begin with.

 

[robert99]

Maybe we're evolving away from meat-eating?

 

[Second Summer]

In addition to meat, another food that is said to have contributed heavily to our evolution as humans is starchy tubers (i.e. foods similar to potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava etc). The inventions of fire and cooking of food allowed us to consume this previously inedible food which provided a lot of calories which were needed to power our big brains.

 

[Blobbenstein]

sure we ate meat, but I doubt they had meat eating contests like that stupid Man Vs Food program.

 

[Naturebound1]

With a population of over 7 billion humans and growing, we don't have a choice but to find other ways to sustain ourselves as humans. Animal food requires more resources and more energy. Animal agriculture contributes to environmental destruction and pollution. Our oceans are being fished to death and animal species are becoming extinct. Organic, "grass fed" animals can only feed so many people before it becomes impossible to sustain this type of practice because of the space/land needed, the cost, and the demand for it.

I really dislike the "natural" argument. As if buying shrink wrapped "meat" in a grocery store is all that natural. Or breeding and raising chickens. Or typing on a computer and driving a car two miles to work.

 

[Capstan]

I really dislike the "natural" argument. As if buying shrink wrapped "meat" in a grocery store is all that natural. Or breeding and raising chickens. Or typing on a computer and driving a car two miles to work.

I have to wonder if humans eating meat is a natural result of evolution, or is it an artificial, technological invention of man? Could man eat meat at all, without technology, other than to eat "roadkill-" animals that are already dead or dying- as a scavenger, or to eat the leftovers left behind by real predators? Is man a natural predator, or is predation merely a tool he employed, adapted from his observations of other animals, and applied to his own circumstances? Where do we draw the line between what is evolutionary and what is invented? Is man's capacity to invent technology a natural part of evolution, or is it what separates us from evolution? I tend to think man's hunting skills were not the result of evolution, but then, I wasn't there, so I don't really know.

 

[Mr Crunchy]

Maybe we're evolving away from meat-eating?