Not the person you originally replied to, but eating plants directly would at least be a sort of harm reduction in that case. It takes a lot more plants to raise non-human animals than to just use plants directly. This is also a big part of why the environmental impact is so high for meat, dairy, etc.
1 kg of meat requires 2.8 kg of human-edible feed for ruminants and 3.2 for monogastrics
What we know for certain is that plants don’t have centralized decision making place or a nervous system. Their reactions are autonomous on the level of specific tissues.
They don’t feel any pain, either. They can react to damage, but it’s just a mechanical automation.
There is a growing body of science that plants may have more consciousness than we originally thought (like this tool use by cows).
Assuming this becomes established fact, it would be hard to find something to eat that wasn’t conscious.
Not the person you originally replied to, but eating plants directly would at least be a sort of harm reduction in that case. It takes a lot more plants to raise non-human animals than to just use plants directly. This is also a big part of why the environmental impact is so high for meat, dairy, etc.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211912416300013
What we know for certain is that plants don’t have centralized decision making place or a nervous system. Their reactions are autonomous on the level of specific tissues.
They don’t feel any pain, either. They can react to damage, but it’s just a mechanical automation.
Plants are not conscious.
We really have to stretch the definition of consciousness to get there.
But sure. Let’s get to that point and worry about it then. Rather than wait around for more research and kill things we know are conscious.
It’s a decent thought experiment now.
As long as you are not using it as a reason to continue your oppression, I don’t mind you doing any thought experiment