This essay was the final for English 504 Topic: Posthumanism during the Spring 2022 semester, where we were to construct an argument that extends, further develops, challenges, or invents concepts invested in posthuman scholarship, utilizing one of the classes’ required readings. Considering the topic deals with what comes next for humankind, I decided to write about the ethics of a subject very personal to me, veganism. This essay considers both Ian Bogost’s concept object oriented ontology (ooo) and Donna Haraway’s concept of killing responsibly. The intended audience is for someone who is generally experienced with philosophical analysis, especially the ethics of food. With all this in mind, I argue about some potential forms of ethical eating across plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates.
This essay demonstrates my growth as a scholar by challenging my own beliefs through a thorough examination of these philosophical concepts’ relationship to veganism and why it’s important for humans to consider for the future of our planet.
In hindsight the essay was really ambitious, perhaps too much for its own good, seeing as I actually didn’t follow my vision through in its entirety. Due to running out of time, I had to drop the last section which would have covered the ethics of cannibalism. Also, my grammar is absolutely horrendous, luckily Dr.Bryant focused on the actual content of the essay; still, the sloppiness on my part wouldn’t be acceptable in publishing. Perhaps better time management would have seen the essay in its true form, one where it is complete in both content and appearance.
As someone who has made the study and practice of ethics and mortality to better his own life and the life of others, this essay was a major development for me as both a scholar and as an everyman. This is what I consider to be my first great (and so far only) piece of philosophical analysis, pushing me to think further outside the box and to dig deeper into other works of philosophy, an often taxing and confusing task for myself. Additionally, reflecting upon this piece has made me reconsider my own worldview. Although I find veganism an important trait for my own being, and the practice generally plays a crucial role in protecting sentient beings and the environment, I have realized it is not the absolute good that I had once thought it to be. Because of these revelations, I know that there is still much to consider regarding the topic of what we ought to eat.
Matthew Kajiwara-Hernandez 