It shows that the benefit to the people is greater than the pain to the people. The pain of the pig is ignored. Considering the vast majority of the pain is to the pig, that’s a pretty big oversight.
It shows that the benefit to the people is greater than the pain to the people.
No, it doesn’t say anything about pain to humans. It shows that people collectively consider it worth it. That information is valuable when considering questions like:
Is there any reason why the suffering of factory-farmed animals would be worth it?
But, if you could pith the pig painlessly (or engineer pigs that did not suffer while their meat is grown / harvested), then the quality of the bacon would not alter (unless you’re a sadist).
Bacon.
This is to say economics says yes. People’s observable behavior indicates that they do consider the process worth it.
It shows that the benefit to the people is greater than the pain to the people. The pain of the pig is ignored. Considering the vast majority of the pain is to the pig, that’s a pretty big oversight.
No, it doesn’t say anything about pain to humans. It shows that people collectively consider it worth it. That information is valuable when considering questions like:
But, if you could pith the pig painlessly (or engineer pigs that did not suffer while their meat is grown / harvested), then the quality of the bacon would not alter (unless you’re a sadist).
The question was ‘worth it?’, not intrinsically desirable.
I’m sure there is an obligatory link in there somewhere. ;)