Is it right to eat meat in a prosperous society? With Juliet Gellatley and Nick Zangwill
Being a vegetarian or vegan has never been more popular, particularly among younger generations. A recent poll showed that 50% of Gen Z planned to be meat-free in 2025. With growing concerns about animal welfare, our changing climate, and personal health driving the move towards plant-based diets, this episode dives into a crucial and often controversial question: is it right to eat meat in a prosperous society?
Welcome to the latest episode of The Bridge: A Disagreeing Well Podcast from University College London and Students' Union UCL. We're here to show you how to disagree better and find common ground on even the most personal and controversial topics.
In this episode, student host Lea Hofer sits down with two experts who don’t pull any punches:
- Juliet Gellatley, a passionate animal rights activist and vegan, argues that in a world of abundant food, eating meat is a choice we can no longer afford to make. She confronts the brutal realities of industrial farming and makes a powerful case for a plant-based diet as a moral imperative.
- Professor Nick Zangwill, philosopher and Honorary Research Fellow at UCL, pushes back with a controversial take: he argues that it is our moral duty to eat meat. He challenges the ethical views of vegans, suggesting that a world without meat consumption would not be better for animals and, in some cases, could be detrimental.
Our resident UCL expert mediator, Dr. Melanie Garson, guides the conversation, helping us to differentiate between deeply held ethical beliefs and personal habits.
Key takeaways from this episode:
- Grasping the ethical argument: Explore the difference between ethical principles and personal choices, and how to have a reasoned discussion about your values without it becoming a shouting match.
- Discovering shared goals: See how two experts with seemingly opposite views can find common ground, even on a topic as personal as food.
- Breaking down big topics: Understand how to split a large, emotional question into smaller, more manageable parts for a more productive and respectful dialogue.
Listen now to better understand the nuances of this debate and improve your ability to have debates with those who hold opposing views.
This production was led by UCLour student presenters, Lea Hofer and Tara Constantine, who are participants on Students’ Union UCL’s Impartial Chairs Programme. Find out more about the programme and, if you are a UCL student, how you can apply here.
Episode Credits
Presenter: Lea Hofer, Students’ Union UCL Impartial Chairs
Guests: Juliet Gellatley and Nick Zangwill
Producer and editor: Research Podcasts
Music: The Investigation by Pixabay
Artwork: Mayuko Yamaguchi, UCL undergraduate student
Creators and Guests
Host
Dr Melanie Garson
Melanie has been teaching on international conflict resolution and international security at UCL since 2010. She provides practical insights and thought leadership for policymakers across the full spectrum of cyber policy, tech geopolitics, and defence innovation challenges. Melanie is an accredited mediator and regularly provides commentary on geopolitics and tech in podcasts, webinars and at major media outlets including Bloomberg, BBC, Sky, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, France 24, and DeutscheWelle.
Guest
Juliet Gellatley
Juliet is the international founder and director of vegan campaigning charity Viva! and its sister groups, Viva! Poland and Viva! Uganda.
Guest
Prof Nick Zangwill
Honorary Research Fellow in the Philosophy Department, UCL. Nick is a philosopher who works mostly on meta-normative issues, especially in moral philosophy and aesthetics, but also works in epistemology, metaphysics and other areas of philosophy.
