I'm an academic economist studying food systems policies, preferences, and practices as they relate to non-market valuation and collective action problems /solutions. During my PhD, I taught a course with Ted Miguel called Economic Tools for Effective Altruism.
The thing that bothers me in this debate is that folks are talking past each other. Whether the gestational crate ban was good or bad is irrelevant relative to what else is on the line. What matters here is that it will ban states from being able to regulate farm animal welfare in any meaningful way. When hog and broiler production is concentrated in 2-5 states, unilateral within-state production bans will be futile more often than not and the states with the most to lose will be the last on board. To make matters worse, animal welfare is a classic public good. Most of what people value is not connected to their own personal consumption—it’s the other billions of animals they can never help with their personal consumption habits (see my job-market paper: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ofUv_tkrT69FBzHPcD39YbsvNDFK4Xl7). So, regulation is required to bypass free riding and help consumers actually achieve their own preferences. The consumer becomes powerless. That is what is at stake here.
You’re right! In fact, even present humans are excluded from my moral circle because I like to keep it restricted to the 19th century humans lol.
But I like where you’re going with it. I even wonder if I could actually keep running with the 19th century theme by depicting the future through that lens, like the Worlds Fair.
That was my original intention, actually! But then I liked the look of including a little bit of the animals’ environment around them within the sentient circle, so technically it’s no longer logically consistent with respect to plants.
Great allegory. I alway begin and end my Econ Tools for EA class with this story. Touches me every time.
Thank you, Joey! I'm a sucker for pretty visuals and I knew I couldn't be the only one wanting something that better captures the beauty of this concept and its meaning to me. Hopefully it gets a little traction and helps us convey the message a tad more clearly. Pass it on!
Don’t forget the rocks in there too! Someday, maybe science will find evidence for meaningful rock and flower sentience lol.
Really though, those were just meant as pretty background to give the image more life.