Meat Consumption

Comparing the Arguments of Meat Consumption In conducting a rhetorical analysis of the two articles, "Joel Salatin: How to Eat Animals and Respect Them, Too" by Madeline Ostrander and "Humane Meat? No Such Thing" by Sunaura Taylor, both articles stand in stark contrast in terms of the viewpoints of meat that they present. In order to gain a better understanding of these viewpoints, it's important to understand the persuasive techniques that both authors use in the article for the reader. More specifically, the ethos, pathos, and logos that they employ, as well the way in which the evidence and support is presented will further elucidate upon the arguments that appear in both articles.

"Joel Salatin: How to Eat Animals and Respect Them,

Right from the very beginning, Ostrander employs the persuasive mode of ethos, in which she introduces Salatin by showcasing how he is relevant and a voice of authority as a sustainable farmer. After giving him a thorough introduction through describing his farm, Polyface and his personality, as well as how he rose to fame through the film Food, Inc. and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, she states, "Who better to articulate an ethic of how, when, and whether we should raise and eat our fellow animals?" It is also in the introduction where Ostrander utilizes most of the pathos portion, appealing to the reader's emotions by describing Salatin in quite an honest way, even referring to

No Such Thing" by Sunaura Taylor delves into the issue from the other perspective, which is that the cultivation of animals for the purposes of consumption is both unethical and immoral, not to mention being bad for the environment. The article is written from the 1st-person perspective, as Taylor frequently uses "I" and refers to herself throughout. Her credibility isn't quite established enough to be too persuasive. Rather than listing her actual credentials, Taylor states that she is a "28-year-old disabled artist, writer, and vegan." The credibility of her argument, however, does stem from the fact that she was in a debate at an art event in California with Nicollete Hahn Niman. Niman is the author of Righteous Porkchop and is also a cattle rancher and has credibility herself. Given that one has to be somewhat important to be invited to be one of the two participants in a debate, this and the credibility of Niman gives Taylor some as well. Plus, of course, she is the author of an article for YES!