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Can Vegans Eat Dessert?

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  • York, Kyle

Abstract

Vegans face a problem, at least if they base their arguments upon principles against causing harm. As Donald Bruckner (2020) has pointed out, these same principles risk ruling out a great many other practices – even eating dessert. Eating dessert risks being impermissible because of the crop deaths associated with agricultural practices, especially the use of insecticides and rodenticides. I suggest that the extent to which this problem emerges depends on the exact principle vegans appeal to. Under some principles against causing harm, the problem indeed stands. I suggest that the vegan has a couple of options for escaping this problem. She might appeal to a principle that doesn’t have such implications. Alternatively, she might simply bite the bullet and accept that morality really is much more demanding here than we might have thought. I’ll give some reasons why biting this bullet isn’t as bad an option as one might suppose.

Suggested Citation

  • York, Kyle, 2026. "Can Vegans Eat Dessert?," Utilitas, Cambridge University Press, vol. 38(2), pages 155-173, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:utilit:v:38:y:2026:i:2:p:155-173_6
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