Ethical Motivation and Vegetarian Dieting: The Underlying Role of Anti-speciesist Attitudes

The most common motivation people have for becoming vegetarian is ethical concern about using animals for food. One ideology called speciesism—which entails assigning different moral worth to different species of animals—is thought to play a central role in promoting ethical vegetarianism. Following a vegetarian diet provides a means of opposing speciesism, proclaiming to oneself and the public that humans should not embody an inherently higher...