The Ethics of Raw Veganism

Abstract:This article is a review of Carlo Alvaro’s Raw Veganism: The Philosophy of the Human Diet. Alvaro offers interesting and novel arguments in support of raw veganism, but they are of varying quality. Raw Veganism relies too heavily on aesthetic-based arguments for veganism, which are inadequate for the task of motivating ethical veganism. At several points throughout the book, Alvaro tries to cultivate psychological aversion to animal products (e.g., describing eggs as coming out of the “rear end” of an animal) as a means of promoting veganism when, in fact, a more careful philosophical argument is required. Despite certain shortcomings, which are pointed out in this review, Raw Veganism makes a valuable contribution to the literature and encourages the reader to think more critically about the merits of a raw diet.