Industrial farming is one of the worst crimes in history (The Guardian)

Yuval Noah Harari · 25 Sept 2015

Yuval Noah Harari did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
The treatment of animals in industrial farms is perhaps the worst crime in history

Their wordsAnimals are the main victims of history, and the treatment of domesticated animals in industrial farms is perhaps the worst crime in history.
Our reading
Stone age humans drove about half of the planet's large land mammals extinct before inventing farming or writing

Their wordsAltogether, sapiens drove to extinction about 50% of all the large terrestrial mammals of the planet before they planted the first wheat field, shaped the first metal tool, wrote the first text or struck the first coin.
Our reading
A need shaped by evolution is still felt even when it is no longer needed to survive and reproduce
Mental modelCognitive biases

Their wordsThis is the basic lesson of evolutionary psychology: a need shaped thousands of generations ago continues to be felt subjectively even if it is no longer necessary for survival and reproduction in the present.
Our reading
Domesticated animals are collectively the most successful animals on Earth and individually the most miserable that ever existed

Their wordsIn consequence, domesticated animals are collectively the most successful animals in the world, and at the same time they are individually the most miserable animals that have ever existed.
Our reading
Science has shown beyond reasonable doubt that farm animals are sentient beings who can suffer

Their wordsYet this same knowledge has demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that farm animals are sentient beings, with intricate social relations and sophisticated psychological patterns.
Our reading
Life on Earth is now governed increasingly by human intelligent design rather than natural selection

Their wordsFor 4bn years, life on Earth was governed by natural selection. Now it is governed increasingly by human intelligent design.
Our reading
As we redesign life with new technologies, we should weigh the welfare of all sentient beings, not just humans

Their wordsWhen we come to design this brave new world, we should take into account the welfare of all sentient beings, and not just of Homo sapiens.

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