Veganism as a moral undertaking responds readily to Confucian advice. The idea that simply by setting a good example you can impact others*, is good advice for the vegan who does not wish to be judgmental. People do not respond well to chastisement or punishment, and if they are forced to change, they will resent it and cheat when they can. Children will gorge on sweets if sweets are forbidden, people pirate music if they think it’s over-restricted, and students will cheat if they’re forced to improve their test scores. There are two issues here: there is not enough trust and the stakes are too high. If you trust people to do the right thing and expect them to be the best they can be, then the importance of morality is not equated with any reward or punishment. If they fall short, then they are only letting themselves down — themselves and who they care about.

The other issue is setting the stakes too high by creating situations that make people desperate. People will do anything can to get what they need. When they are hungry and afraid, they will got to great lengths for a bite to eat and some peace of mind. When the consequences of a mistake outweigh its inherent importance — pass this test or you won’t graduate, eat what’s on your plate or you’ll go to bed without supper, sit in this box from 9 ’til 5 every weekday or get fired — it’s tempting to try to get away with doing “the wrong thing”. We can know why the sticks and carrots exist, but they will still cheapen morality by making it a simple cost-benefit analysis.

In truth we have the ability to feel really good about ourselves for being kind and respectful, and deeply ashamed for hurting others — because that’s what morality really comes down to. When we’re fully awake to the truly helpful or harmful results of our actions, unblinded by artificial rewards and punishments, then we can fully realize our compassionate nature. When we see other people ignoring the rules and the norms and following their hearts, we begin to see how petty it is to rely on those rules and norms to keep us in line. When someone tells us, “Don’t steal!”, we’re tempted to steal. When someone looks down on us for eating meat, we want to eat more just to spite them. But when we know in our hearts that people and animals get hurt by what we do, we stop.

* Thank you, Claire Askew! You rock.