Response to "Vegetarianism."

Skyla's question was: What, in our human nature, allows us to eat slaughtered animals even though it really isn't necessary?

Basically, survival. Back when humans were hunter/gatherers living in small bands they needed the occasional game to sustain them for longer periods of time than plants can. That tradition developed along with human society. What in our nature allows us to kill another thing when we don't really need to is a mystery to me. Some people, such as myself, could never kill another animal, but I can certainly eat one and enjoy it. This is extremely hypocritical. As Catherine Anne Porter said in one of her essays, "Morally, if I wished to eat meat I should be able to kill the animal--otherwise it appeared that I was willing to nourish myself on other people's sins." However, I know that I could kill an animal if my survival depended on it. I can even see the potential appeal in doing so. Perhaps our arrogance in thinking that we are above nature for being human is what enables us to kill and eat other animals. Most of the animals that we kill and eat pose no threat to us and we could certainly live on plants alone and supplements. So why don't we? I don't think that humans have advanced enough to abandon such an integral part of being human. We continue to relish being on top of the food chain. I think that so long as we see ourselves as being superior to animals we will continue to kill and eat them.