Publication

Abstract : The present social attitude towards agriculture is in disarray. The average person has developed more robust opinions about the ethical implications of agriculture; yet remains more removed from the actual practice itself than in any other time in history. Meanwhile, the growing popularity of "ethical" foods such as organics, GM-free, etc., show the public's growing concern with food. This tension has introduced several misconceptions and failed judgments about agricultural products, putting greater social and governmental pressures on the industry as a whole. Because of this, it is important for philosophers to consider the ethical obligations of agriculture and its associated responsibilities to incorporate moral values into its future practices. The goal of this thesis is to confront these issues by developing a historical account of the industry and its guiding paradigm, engaging the paradigm's moral instability, and then offering a means of creating adequately pragmatic, yet ethically rigorous solutions.