As a philosopher by profession, I have frequently criticized fellow academics for relying too heavily on technical terminology and for struggling to communicate effectively with the broader public. At its best, philosophy should employ accessible language to provide clarity and fresh perspectives. On a subject as significant as veganism, philosophy can help expose misconceptions and myths while demonstrating how the vegan lifestyle connects to many modern concerns as well as timeless ethical questions.
Philosophy also has the ability to penetrate complexity and reveal how veganism can be understood as a way of life grounded in a single, profound moral principle. This is the perspective I intend to present here. My own complicated dietary history serves as an illustration of what is reasonable and what is not.
A Thoughtless Vegan
I initially became vegan for rather superficial reasons. Within my social circle, veganism was fashionable; it seemed unique, progressive, and intriguing. Today, veganism is even more widespread than it was when I first adopted it, and I am amazed to see entirely vegan restaurants flourishing, particularly among Millennials. For some individuals, veganism remains a trend, and people who follow dietary trends are often unable to clearly explain their motivations. When others asked me why I was vegan, I could only repeat a handful of clichés and had little else to say.
In order to overcome my discomfort, I started investigating the advantages of a vegan diet, beginning with its health benefits. While I was impressed by the positive effects on health, I became even more fascinated by how my research expanded far beyond the topic of animal products. At that time, I defined veganism simply as a diet that excluded all animal-derived products, and I felt confident that this alone would guarantee good health. In doing so, I unknowingly accepted one of the many food-related myths prevalent in contemporary American culture—the belief that a vegan diet automatically provides optimal nutrition.
Observing several vegan friends who were not healthy quickly challenged this assumption. One friend had a strong preference for sweets and was already pre-diabetic at the age of twenty-two. Another experienced health problems due to consuming excessive amounts of saturated fat, including the trendy coconut oil that was widely promoted at the time.
At this point, I began to realize that my vegan diet, much like any diet that includes meat, required informed decision-making and a broader understanding of related issues. I felt compelled to learn more about nutrition and other relevant fields as well.
A Green Vegan
Organic food represents an issue that bridges both health and environmental concerns. The more I studied these topics, the more interconnected they appeared. Beginning from a vegan perspective, I already understood that food choices and environmental sustainability are closely connected because producing animal-based foods requires vast amounts of natural resources. I knew that replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives conserves more resources than switching from a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle to a hybrid car. What I did not fully understand, however, was that the environmental benefits of a vegan diet represent only a small portion of what is necessary to protect the planet.
Using renewable energy sources, reducing plastic consumption, and making countless other environmentally conscious choices are all within our control. Many of these decisions require greater awareness rather than significant financial investment or effort. Why should a vegan care about protecting the environment? Because a damaged and depleted planet inevitably results in suffering for both humans and animals. Someone who adopts veganism for health reasons and reflects deeply on its implications often becomes environmentally conscious as well. My own journey taught me that veganism must be supported by sound nutritional knowledge and strengthened by a serious commitment to environmental stewardship. I view these additions as natural extensions of the positive outcomes already associated with a vegan diet.
Philosophy examines the foundations of our thinking, and in this case it revealed that I had been trapped within a narrow value framework. I had focused on the value of avoiding animal products without recognizing how this concern connected to other movements, such as supporting local businesses or participating in recycling initiatives. These areas often appear separate because of a misconception that I call the Fragmentation Myth—the belief that dietary practices, environmental efforts, and animal rights advocacy are unrelated activities. Only through the lens of this myth do they appear disconnected.
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)
One of the most significant experiences in my personal journey was visiting my cousin’s pig confinement facility in Iowa. Long rows of industrial buildings housed thousands of animals within an artificial environment dominated by metal, plastic, and concrete. This setting deprived the animals of the opportunity to express their natural behaviors and instincts. Frustrated and stressed, many pigs chewed on the bars of their enclosures and bit one another.
The market price of bacon does not reflect its true cost. Labels fail to disclose the immense suffering endured by animals, the negative impact on human health, and the overwhelming odor and hazardous waste runoff produced by these facilities. These hidden consequences are all part of the real price of bacon.
I already understood that my vegan diet reduced the number of animals subjected to such lives and eventual slaughter. Vegans choose not to participate in this system and therefore do not support CAFOs. Nevertheless, most Americans have quietly accepted the treatment of livestock and rarely take action to challenge it. Observing the way animals are treated within our culture confronted me with both a puzzle and a shock. I often feel as though I live within a deeply contradictory cultural environment because I witness a remarkable double standard: livestock are subjected to harsh and often cruel treatment, while pets receive extraordinary levels of care and affection.
An enormous pet-care industry exists to provide luxury services for companion animals, ranging from specialized grooming spas to diabetes testing kits. Advertisements from Dogtopia proclaim that “every dog deserves day care.” The irony is that many of the individuals who lavish attention and resources on their pets are the same individuals who express little concern for the welfare of livestock.
We need to critically examine all the ways in which animals are treated: livestock, household pets, animals hunted for their hides, fur, horns, or tusks, and animals used in product testing. Compassion should be extended universally rather than selectively.
Wholistic Veganism
It is clear that we need an alternative to the fragmented worldview that encourages us to view these concerns as isolated categories. My experience at the pig confinement facility demonstrated that CAFOs simultaneously involve issues of public health, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare. Throughout our society, the Fragmentation Myth obscures understanding and undermines ethical consistency.
Philosophers use the term “holism” to describe the view that all aspects of life are interconnected rather than divided into separate and unrelated domains. As I understand it, holism is the recognition that all of reality is linked through relationships of interdependence. My research and personal experiences have convinced me that this perspective is accurate, and I prefer the spelling “wholism” because it emphasizes the idea of unity and completeness.
I have traveled a considerable distance from the thoughtless vegan I once was to my current understanding of veganism as something far more comprehensive than a dietary preference. If reality itself is interconnected and interdependent, then my veganism should represent a complete way of living rooted in compassion for all beings. Looking back, I see that my journey began with a limited version of veganism and gradually developed into a much broader and more comprehensive philosophy. My earlier approach was incomplete because it arbitrarily restricted its focus to food choices alone.
Wholistic veganism expands and strengthens the positive effects already associated with dietary veganism, including benefits related to nutrition, environmental responsibility, and ethics. It represents a mature and fully developed form of veganism.
Although wholistic veganism encompasses many dimensions of human life, its foundation rests on a single and straightforward principle: compassion for all sentient beings. For me, this understanding emerged gradually through both study and personal experience. Donald Watson, the founder of the vegan movement, argued that veganism begins with vegetarianism and carries it to its logical conclusion. In a similar spirit, I would argue that wholistic veganism begins with veganism itself and extends it to its own logical conclusion—embracing nutrition, environmental stewardship, and animal welfare as inseparable components.
I present this perspective as an invitation rather than a demand. This is not evangelical veganism, because I do not seek to pressure or persuade others into adopting wholistic veganism. Instead, I simply encourage both vegans and non-vegans to think carefully and critically about the way we choose to live in this world.