Philosophical Vegan Forum

Twizelby wrote:just general debates that I enter. This one is from a comment section of an NPR forum from a story on the Diane Rehm show about the impact of meat production on the enthronement.

Have I answered it to your satisfaction?

Twizelby wrote:I have all of my arguments well thought out until it comes to nutrition. I try to base my arguments on justifiable claims but I can't seem to find enough long term studies on health outcomes for vegans to fully satisfy my desire to make a warranted claim on the health of a vegan diet.

For lack of personal knowledge, the rational thing to do is to provisionally defer to experts on the topic.

The position statements I cited are more than sufficient, but if you look for them, you can find similar position statements from all qualified bodies and legitimate health organizations (e.g. ones that are not lobby groups).

Deferring to experts for a rational conclusion in lieu of evidence against it is not a fallacy.

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/appeal-to-authority

Note that there's always a substantial disclaimer that explains what the "appeal to authority" fallacy is not.

Also see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority


The average rube you encounter on the internet doesn't have even the most basic grasp of nutrition, or even the conditions he or she may claim to have (or know somebody who supposedly has it). As a point of example: the post you just posted.

People don't even understand that there are different types of anemia with different causes. Sadly many doctors don't even understand that concept.

Twizelby wrote:Can everyone go vegan I guess is the question.

Yes. Is the answer.

It's as true that everybody can go vegan as it is that everybody can go non-cannibal.

Maybe there are some people with a rare genetic condition that requires cannibalism in order to survive. Some tribe deep in the jungle that has practiced cannibalism for so long, they have become dependent on some obscure hormone or amino acid that only occurs in humans that they can no longer produce.

Or maybe there are living zombies who much eat human brains or vampires who must drink live human blood.

The fact is we have no evidence of any such thing, so humoring such far fetched notions is just as absurd as imagining that there are people out there who can't be vegan for some reason.
There are very few substances in meat which can not be found elsewhere, among the kingdoms of plants, fungi, and bacteria. And among those substances, none are essential nutrients in humans. Even most of the non-essential ones can also be synthesized industrially from vegan sources (creatine, taurine, etc.).

Cats can even be vegan, and they're obligate carnivores (it's not as easy for them to be vegan, but it has been shown to be possible- while commercial food preparations may still be of questionable quality).