Study Guide
James Rachels - Vegetarianism and "The Other Weight Problem"
1. Explain Rachels' argument about the starving child down the street.
2. What is Rachels' response to the argument that feeding the starving will
only create more starving people?
3. What is Rachels' food wastage argument for vegetarianism? Does this argument
rule out eating fish?
4. Why does Rachels think the food wastage argument may not conclusively
show that we should all become vegetarians?
5. According to Rachels, what argument does conclusively show that we should
all become vegetarians?
6. What does Rachels think about simply improving the conditions farm animals
live under, but continuing to eat them?
7. How does Rachels respond to the objection that it is pointless to become
a vegetarian because one person's actions will not actually save any animal's
life?