{"id":773573,"date":"2023-09-08T08:23:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T12:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/animalrightswatch.us\/?p=773573"},"modified":"2023-09-08T08:50:49","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T12:50:49","slug":"meat-marx-the-base-superstructure-and-cultivated-meat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/animalrightswatch.us\/?p=773573","title":{"rendered":"MEAT MARX: The base, superstructure and cultivated meat"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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In order to achieve widespread legal personhood for animals of the kind that would necessitate the end of animal agriculture, the base of our current society must change. In accelerating the development of cellular agriculture, we are potentially changing society\u2019s base, which in turn impacts law, religion, art and so much else. One could convincingly argue the advent of cultivated meat that is cheaper and indistinguishable in taste to slaughtered options creates the preconditions for animal liberation.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\n

JON HOCHSCHARTNER:<\/strong> For those who don\u2019t know, cultivated meat is grown from animal cells, without slaughter. The technology faces a number of hurdles. Perhaps the most significant of these is achieving price parity with slaughtered options. This is crucial for widespread adoption, which could save countless creatures.<\/em><\/p>\n

Within Marxism, ‘base’ refers to the productive forces of society, like tools, materials and factories. Superstructure refers to a society\u2019s ideological system, such as laws, religion and art. Marxists generally believe base influences superstructure to a far greater degree than superstructure influences base…<\/em><\/p>\n

An overly-determinative view of the relationship between base and superstructure is typically dismissed as vulgar Marxism. After all, if superstructure couldn\u2019t influence base, why would Marx dedicate so much time to constructing an elaborate ideology which now bears his name? However, the point stands.<\/em><\/p>\n

So what does this have to do with my belief animal activists should prioritize increased public funding for cultivated-meat research? Because in accelerating the development of cellular agriculture, we are potentially changing society\u2019s base, which in turn impacts law, religion, art and so much else.<\/em><\/p>\n

Just as Marx said \u201cthe hand-mill gives you society with the feudal lord,\u201d one could convincingly argue the advent of cultivated meat that is cheaper and indistinguishable in taste to slaughtered options creates the preconditions for animal liberation. I should make clear we\u2019re still a long way off from price parity and undoubtedly taste needs further work as well…<\/em><\/p>\n

As a further example,… lawyer Steven M. Wise and the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP)’s work to win legal personhood for animals… If Wise manages to convince a court to recognize an animal here or there as a legal person, or perhaps even a whole category of animals, it would be an immense milestone I\u2019d celebrate. But I believe base influences superstructure far more than superstructure influences base.<\/em><\/p>\n

In order to achieve widespread legal personhood for animals of the kind that would necessitate the end of animal agriculture, the base of our current society must change. I believe cellular agriculture has the potential to do this in the long run. That\u2019s why I think accelerating its development should be animal activists\u2019 top priority. SOURCE…<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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