Confident Yale Student vs Vegan Activist - "Animals Don't Have Feelings"

[@ed.winters]

More videos from my time at Yale during the last academic year coming soon! Soon I'll be heading back to schools and universities now that summer/students breaks are almost over. Sign up to a 22 day vegan challenge here: bit.ly/22veganed Become a supporter of my work here (thank you!): www.earthlinged.org/support Free 122 page e-book: www.earthlinged.org/ebook

[@jessegarcia2790]

Come to USC I think you’d get some interesting responses.

[@Rokayify]

That was an awesome conversation to listen to, cheers Ed!

[@TheUnholyPosole]

... seriously, go talk to an actual nutritionist. Vegan is mostly a marketing ploy, there's a reason why people who actually research nutrition aren't vegans. It's silly to advocate nutritional extremism, when you clearly don't know anything about nutrition, or pesticides, or molds accumulated during shipping and storage. If you're getting vegetables and fruits sprayed with sketchy chemicals, eating it every day clearly wouldn't be healthy, would it?

[@zenmint]

@@TheUnholyPosole The largest organization for health and nutrition prove that a well planned vegan diet is the only diet that is healthy for every human at every stage of our lives and can actually cure/prevent our leading diseases, such as our top killer of heart diseases. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27886704 Also nonhuman animals eat more than human animals, so the animals you eat have more pesticide sprayed plants in them. cowspiracy.com/facts/ www.ecowatch.com/vegan-climate-change-2558286917.html

[@NoAcehere]

What is your response to all the ex-vegans who had to quit due to health issues with vegan lifestyle?

[@savitasubrahmanyam3953]

I really don't understand why it has to take a cat or dog abuse to really get people thinking......... If you spend a day with a chicken or goat or pig........ You will understand that they are equally capable of feeling joy and fear

[@Blucamels]

Most people never see and spend time with farm animals, but most of us have spent time with a dog or cat.

[@thatveganmuslim]

People should make the connection with just that all animals have feelings

[@XoJuliannaOx1]

Exactly... Pigs are smarter than dogs and cats so they definitely have consciousness. All animals have feelings

[@taylordfghfh]

yes agree

[@liammarshall-butler3384]

As someone who's never spent time with farm animals I understand. It's hard to think of the squirrels and birds I see everyday has really being full expressive. So, I think that most people extend that experience to farm animals. I am sure that if all the squirrels weren't terrifies of me, I would get a chance to see how expressive they are, but it's easy to imagine they simply aren't.

[@dcd010]

People have no idea how much they’re going to be turned around when they sit down and talk to English Jesus

[@issuma8223]

Jesus didn't cheat on his taxes.

[@patrickdi.6440]

@@issuma8223 This comment is so random it's hilarious haha

[@junglejarred6366]

@@issuma8223 no he threw out the money changers. He knew he wasn't a slave

[@RobertTaylor88]

Jesus loved eating meat!! God bless you

[@susanjohn6506]

Taylor Robert people don’t become vegan because they didn’t enjoy eating meat. They become vegan because they could not justify their part in the pain & misery inflicted on animals in order for them to do so.

[@megan-ui3hq]

He really was considering Ed’s arguments by the end - people are conditioned and we can’t be angry at them for objecting to challenges to the views they have held their whole life. What Ed is doing is spreading awareness and education and this debate just goes to show how seeds are planted 💚

[@treeeester]

Exactly. Polite, thoughtful discourse like this is what opens minds, changes world views, unites and elevates us as a society.

[@megan-ui3hq]

Treeester I completely agree.

[@elenaserrato5558]

Yes, I thing thas the main idea, agree with you

[@aimeeahearne6898]

AMEN!!! Frustrated that there are so many personal negative comments directed towards the young man. This is not the welcoming community we need to aim for (understand many vegans don’t consider themselves part of a community but it was the only way I could convey my point in this context). It’s obvious that this man has empathy, which also extends to animals. He values freedom of thought which you only need to look at history to understand.

[@megan-ui3hq]

Amy Ahearne Yes it was the personal attacks towards this man that prompted me to comment. No matter how ignorant we may think someone is, that is no justification for insults or negativity. We can change people’s minds with encouragement and education. I hate to think of this man reading through all these comments, he would almost certainly be completely turned away from veganism for life. Almost all vegans consumed animal products at one point in our life, we need to extend our empathy to all beings and help them come to their own conclusions, just as Ed does 💚

[@fastfunpokerjamie124]

This is the living definition of: “don’t let your education get in the way of your learning”

[@unfucktheworldunfuckthewor7897]

classic!!!

[@sajfen]

At least this guy seems honest. The logic is poor but he can actually think and doesn't get defensive and aggressive. Give him some time and he'll come around.

[@charlesfraunhofer7893]

Does anyone say I don't get defensive or aggressive? What about confidence in me for a change, saying how great I am for a change?

[@SoniaAnastasiaaa]

@@charlesfraunhofer7893 was that english

[@cheetocheat2475]

Logic can only get u so far, balance of logic and emotion is where its at. Logic will make u think u know the answer and the balance will allow u to see that we have a choice

[@jome8059]

funny how meat eaters try to find logic. for me its just. i love meat its my diet and thats it. is it moral... ? i don't care its just my diet, it has nothing to do with morality

[@sajfen]

@@jome8059 Are you saying this or are you saying that they are saying this? Because "X has nothing to do with morality" is just a claim. That claim could be wrong. And in this case, it IS wrong.

[@adamlevy8971]

Most of us vegans have eaten meat before and used the same justifications. Don't get on your vegan high horse when they give out these justifications if you're just watching a video from afar. At the end of the video he clearly was interested in learning more, and I can almost guarantee he will watch the video and the comments below. I'm actually quite happy about how inquisitive he is- most people aren't and will blindly go through life without thinking of the impacts of their actions. Smart people like him are the people who will make changes. I became vegan several months ago (and have been vegetarian for over a year) while I am still in college- so I can definitely relate to his position! Go him!

[@dancenow1337]

Right, he of course did go into this trying to prove the statement wrong, which was the task given. He seemed quite intelligent, even if some of his arguments were a bit out there. I am sure most of us would have made similar arguments if put on the spot.

[@LiveMercifully]

@The Pander Bear hahaha... Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5CXdWmYp7mUoMU

[@glumGlumm]

Adam Levy eat meat. Support local meat farm!

[@ilomeloo]

Adam Levy many of us who used to eat meat weren’t aware of the cruelty behind it. Most meat eaters are blind to the way these animals are brutally killed. If we did know we wouldn’t be eating it in the first place. I learn more everyday as I keep watching this videos to get a better understanding and to make it a lot easier for me to stick to my diet . I’m glad to not be eating meat . I can’t even stand the smell of it anymore .

[@ilomeloo]

the Lost Q that too . But honestly eating meat is only damaging your health so go ahead and eat it if you don’t care for animals . It’s your health not mine . Idrc what happens to you 😂🙄

[@cynicalidealist11]

Lmao at the muggles playing Quidditch in the background.

[@Adriipht6969]

One is using a dustpan instead of a broom lmao

[@jessy9435]

lol, i didnt notice that

[@PauIdenino]

Hahahaha

[@zenmint]

@Canadian Girl lolll theyre terms from Harry Potter. Muggles are humans without magic. And Quidditch is a sports game they play on flying brooms.

[@heathermca1351]

Literally had to stop watching and go look for comments about it 😂

[@opheliarathmore7829]

this video came out 2 years ago, on September 14th. My birthday was on September 14th. I'd been thinking about veganism for a while, and when this video came out on my birthday, I took it as a sign from the universe and I decided I would go vegan. It's been 2 years and baby im doing A-M-A-Z-I-N-G 😎🌱💪

[@davidt8087]

But your missing out on your protonzz how will ur musckelszz growz? U needs ze protonzzzzz from da meetsz

[@GerSan1979]

Niceeeeeee!💚

[@gavinturner5565]

Awesome on you👍👍👍

[@d.fernandavento222]

Amazing 🎉

[@luisawick5001]

This was a really interesting conversation to watch. The guy was very confident about his moral justification to eat animals, but I think you Ed made him aware that he is inconsistent in his thinking about morality. And i honestly believe he will think this conversation over and maybe understand that his "justification" isn't a real justification cause it reveals his incosistency. I think you planted a seed there. P.s. i think the comments labeling him as stupid aren't helping anyone. Ed's always promoting being open with non-vegans, respecting their views and debating them with arguments. You're doing the opposite.

[@p.ananditaosmec-0673]

I agree. He is here not because he wishes to challenge but actually tried to justify. But ed made him see why his moral relativism is so different from how the world works without even asking him to stop thinking that way but just by showing how your view of morality cannot always applied to our situation right now because there is a rule book to bind by if it hurts others.

[@Turbomane86]

Calling this guy stupid might not be helping but it is correct. Although, he may read these comments and think wow everyone thinks I’m stupid maybe I should reevaluate what I think?? Probably not but maybe.

[@turbonbc]

We are programmed and conditioned since birth but the truth will always prevail. May take a lifetime for some but once you have been exposed to the undeniable truth, it will never stop bothering you until you finally surrender and accept it.

[@p.ananditaosmec-0673]

@@Turbomane86 lol but the whole point in Ed's manner of approach is only when you listen, really listen to why they believe what they believe can you exactly point out what is amiss in their arguement. And when someone feels personally attacked for their view point, then theres a high chance they will hate the persons saying it rather than believe them and re evaluate themselves. And honestly i believe this dud wasnt being stupid as he was taking pauses and you can tell by his following statements that they were not to rebut but he actually tried to think about it and considered it. And he even asked for Ed's number. Even if he just had a crush on ed at least hes associating with vegans so there is some hope for thought provoking.

[@linyuetao]

@@turbonbc well said...

[@samanthaelizabeth2595]

Ed is awesome! I would love to see him debate philosophy professors, specifically ethics professors!

[@SoloUnAnimal]

​@bob honest do you mean when Harris replied that the social consequences of exploiting, killing and eating other humans would be different (and bad)? He didn't name the trait, he just made an observation about human biases. How does that 'destroy' any argument? Plus, these biases haven't always encompassed all of humanity. We've enslaved and killed other humans(maybe not eaten, but that's the least important thing about it; sentient beings don't care what they do with their carcasses after they are dead) through a big portion of our history and that's how we survived, prospered, built kingdoms, empires, states and markets. Clearly, the consequences of such actions weren't as obvious as Harris wanted people to think (namely, that we, 21st century first world citizens, would be very upset about them). Or do you mean when he then proposed an hypothetical where all animals raised for human consumption had 'lives worth living' (and where it was true that positive wellbeing aggregates, and is, also, the most important ethical parameter there is - both highly controversial philosophical claims), so, therefore, it would be more ethical to breed them than not, hence non-vegans would have the upper hand? Again, he refused to answer the question, without even realizing that the same hypothetical could be applied to humans being bred, raised and killed for whatever unnecessary purpose, as long as they have lives worth living. Exploiters and killers of these humans would be ethically superior to the human rights activists in this hypothetical world. Why do you find his answers convincing at all?

[@tofudad]

@bob honest Sam Harris did not destroy name the trait. He gave a non-answer to the question and never even named a trait.

[@tofudad]

@bob honest You can feel that way, but NTT hasn't been refuted.

[@tofudad]

@bob honest You're really not making any sense. Name the trait is just a way to test the logical consistency of an argument in a debate. That shouldn't make you uncomfortable unless your logic is inconsistent.

[@tofudad]

@bob honest You haven't asked anything so I don't see how I could possibly be evading anything, but okay lmao

[@andrevictorgomes]

Holy shit, they were playing quidditch in the background! xD

[@stephengilbert5612]

Ed you are a great diplomat for the vegan cause . Always a pleasure seeing you .

[@dark2light96usaisa9]

The greatest! Best use of the socratic method you can find on KZbin!

[@medinabello19]

Need him to go into politics.

[@BreadVanVleet]

@MaaaarrJ insecure af

[@natalia3448]

Guy: we are not destroying the world or the whole nature because of our activities.. Ed: Hmmmmm

[@Someoneorother123]

@Matthew Curreri What do you think animals are fed ?

[@Insight-music]

Matthew Curreri the consumerist model behind diet will never work, local and community gardens are basically the key in our pocket

[@Insight-music]

Matthew Curreri I think you are limiting your own perspective with that belief.

[@bananian]

@Matthew Everything you mentioned is ten times worst because of meat eating. You're actually making a pro vegan argument.

[@gamerslife4me938]

@Matthew The argument is that when people will shift to vegan diet, the demand will shift as well. Therefore, that would encourage the slaughterhouses to convert their lands into farm to feed the people. Govt. can also contribute by giving incentives to the people doing so. The amount of crops that is being grown is already plenty to feed the population.

[@puddingball]

What a considerate young man this is. Open to new lines of thinking and not just being stuck in one particular worldview

[@Rosasbeauty99]

this guy is very open minded and good at having conversation without arguing or being arrogant to the other side

[@unfucktheworldunfuckthewor7897]

the fact he sat down might mean he has an idea to go Vegan even if he doesn't know it

[@Flobb1t]

Best debate I've seen in a while, clearly two intelligent people, his arguments were ropey, but the fact he wanted Ed's number, I assume the debate will continue. Stop sh****g on everyone comments, the majority of us were in the position of meat eaters at one point, it's about educating, reasoning. Not everything is a nail to be hit with a hammer, the toolbox is far bigger than that.

[@leigh_m]

Tone P hundred percent agree. Ed always has the best approach, and he shows the power of education and raising awareness.

[@5and420]

Ooooor he wants to have a date with him in a fine reataurant with a long walk through the park afterwards

[@MeJustAimy]

IDragñ Love this comment 😂👌

[@sajfen]

"What do you think about horrible thing X?" "Well, some people would say...." "Yeah, but what do YOU think"

[@itswrongtokillanimalsifyou2837]

Thank you!

[@Magda-ko6gj]

University does not teach that we are all connected, probably the most important lesson for all children to learn. And there is nothing natural about breeding and interfering with nature. So when you bring an innocent child into the world, teach kind.

[@no89lan3]

Veganism is interfering with nature.

[@elpablo6268]

What do you mean by connected?

[@80slimshadys]

If I payed thousands of dollars for an engineering degree I would be pretty pissed if someone was wasting time I paid for to teach me about being connected with nature or something.

[@Magda-ko6gj]

@@80slimshadys Of course, but you are missing the point. If you were taught the interconnectedness in the first place, after doing your engineering degree, you'd probably use it in Biomimicry. And the guy had to think pretty hard when asked, what has more value.. your taste buds or a life? If you have to even think for a second about that, then your education really means nothing, no matter how much you paid for it. What we do to animals has a profound affect on, not only the animals but humans, the earth and all other inhabitants too.

[@Magda-ko6gj]

@@elpablo6268 I mean that everything is connected. How we treat animals has a profound affect on humans, the earth and all other life. Earth and it's creatures are not property for us to exploit and this egotistical and cruel behaviour is what is destroying our very life support system...Peace

[@elpablo6268]

Why full of hate comments??? He is open-minded! He didn t make research before the argument but still comes to debate and is polite and when he is wrong he accepts. Wtf is wrong with this communit,... All only have hate and are making fun of him like he is stupid when he probably have by his way of discussing more wisdom than the majority of arrogant fools that you are

[@MsSheilaC]

ElPablo i agree. Disappointed w the hate toward this guy (and subtle racism, frankly). Love Ed. Love these vids. We can do better as a community, tho.

[@jean6453]

My guess is that people make an assumption that someone who attends Yale wouldn't use the arguments he was using, and saying things like dog fighting was not immoral, if I remember correctly, and therefore it gives people cognitive dissonance....and then they respond. I'm not sure I'd call it hate though.

[@bradbeattie]

@@MsSheilaC Can you point to the racism? I looked through the comments and maybe it was deleted?

[@PhilFoal]

That's exactly what i hate about the vegan community

[@MsSheilaC]

Brad Beattie one assuming ethnicity/ nationality, and then derogatory comments based on that assumption.. Irrelevant, pointless and offensive. Someone trying to be clever, I guess. I think that gentleman enjoyed Ed’s thoughtful intelligent debate. If he had felt he ‘won’ he would’ve got up and walked away, but instead ask for Ed’s information. Ed’s goal is to get inside people’s heads-make them think in ways they may not have before- and I think he accomplished in here.

[@matthiashavrez]

That dude was smart. Meaning, a lot of the times, when you are debating people over things that they would find cognitivally challenging, that creates cognitive dissonnance. But this man wasn't having that. He was always like "Oh yes that's a great point, let me rethink my opinion and actually take this good point into account". That's rare. And I'm not saying this to put this man on a pedestal, or above other people we've seen on this channel, obviously cognitive dissonnance is not something you can avoid by being smart or being superior in any way. The fact that someone goes through cognitive dissonnance on a topic doesn't speak at all about their force of will, their intelligence or anything. It doesn't make them inferior. I'm making this comment because it felt good to have someone who disagrees at first navigate the conversation in that way. He was trying to explain his views, take responses into account and actually think about the issue and try to maybe even find where he standed on the subject, while people usually enter the conversation with their position already set deeply and can often end up in a kind of a defensive stance. Which I find less interesting to watch. And that was very nice and surprising that he even asked for Ed's contact info at the end. That dude really discovered that this subject is something important to him, and it made me happy.

[@jimmyhyun8546]

Everything you said was true - but isn't Ed's stance also deeply entrenched? "while people usually enter the conversation with their position already set deeply" No way in hell Ed would change his view whatever the other guy said.

[@angies_fashion]

As much as I don't agree with what this young man has to say, I enjoyed this interview because he actually had "arguments" even if they were flawed. Most of the other interviews I have to click off because they can't hold a conversation.

[@bravulo]

He's a law student of one of the most distinguished institutes. On the other hand, his arguments are based more on logic, less on moral.

[@tamcon72]

Enjoyed this talk; the young fellow was probably thinking of these issues and examining his feelings on them, for the first time during this conversation. He is still working things out, and I have a feeling your interactions with him will wear on his perspectives for a long time. Thanks For Posting!

[@ohnoitschantel]

I really appreciate how at the end of these discussions, some of these Ivy League students are interested in knowing more about Ed's activism. Really hope they look into veganism some more! :)

[@larryllama5225]

He was eager for a card & even said he agreed with many of Ed's statements. All these negative comments were people too impatient to watch the entire video!!!! Thanks for watching it all :)

[@adhiantos]

The fact that he asked for Ed's contacts in the end is a good start! I met someone once who was "debating" with me about why we shouldn't consume animal products. We both ended up going our own ways but he did message me from time to time asking about eating vegan. Of course I gladly helped him haha.

[@tinyjungle_]

This video is a great lesson in patience. we could all use a little more

[@laurenwoulfe2896]

Me getting ready to tell my family for the first time that I’m vegan by watching Ed

[@GerSan1979]

How was it? :D

[@_theplantkiller]

Ed, your are truly brilliant. You’re so gifted at what you’re doing, and you really know how to respect people while getting them to speak about important topics. I feel blessed to share this planet with such a beautiful human! Keep being you. ❤️

[@amarashaelyn]

it’s so refreshing that he’s at least taking a moment to think of the questions he’s being asked instead of just trying to defend himself and win the argument

[@ellakathryyn]

it made me so happy that he asked you for his card at the end!- who knows, maybe he'll be vegan next year:)

[@rickymort135]

Ah he probably just wants to get in Ed's pants

[@medinabello19]

Hope he watches Dominion.

[@davidsalinas9]

@@rickymort135 lmao wtf

[@rickymort135]

@@davidsalinas9 If Ed flirted with you using all his relentless logic and charisma to persuade into his bed, you wouldn't stand a chance... I know I wouldn't. Id let him be rough with me and get all the sensory pleasure he wanted

[@davidsalinas9]

@@rickymort135 he'd convince me using logic and charisma to prove I'm morally justified as gay to be able to do all those thing . Even though I'm straight and would rather die than have a penis be inserted into me or my penis inserted into any Male.

[@TM-sj1jg]

Moral relativism man. Not even once. Props to the student for being willing to sit down and have a conversation about it though. I get what he means about entering "debate mode" in the moment but afterward some of the opposing points sink in and can provide food for thought.

[@Graceelizabeth]

Watch right to the end, he was so kind & sweet! :)

[@anna2057]

Yeah :) I loved that

[@BaristaWithADog]

What a graceful, considerate, and reasonable argument shared between two articulate gentlemen with opposing positions. I would have a beer with this guy. EDIT: The ending warms my heart! 💗😭

[@leigh_m]

I loved the end. Good job Ed! These college debates are really great. It’s great to see the power of education and raising awareness.

[@robske]

Even though the many contradictions, I found this interview to be very interesting. It is hard to look in the mirror to your own actions on the spot, so you do everything to debate your actions are right. I think this guy will research afterwards and will come to see the vegan light :)

[@megan-ui3hq]

It’s so great how you always have follow-up questions to everything, I really aspire to be that way 💚

[@Wearephuct-O]

megan the vegan !

[@raynabryn]

Part of why I am so fascinated by activists like Ed, Joey, & James... they teach me how to approach conversations with non-vegans! It’s already helped so much. Plus these videos are absolutely fantastic 🤩

[@megan-ui3hq]

Rayna B C Absolutely 💚

[@evapeterson8804]

Amazing! He asked for your contact at the end, that's a win! 🌱🙌❤

[@animallover9378]

This man is amazing ! Opening the eyes of people without getting annoyed at them lol

[@aconiteblossom5312]

very good, you got him to at least pause and reflect for a second.

[@drewnixx]

Holy crap Ed, you are amazing. Please never stop doing what you do! Earthlings need you.

[@wecouldlaugh]

Why would any human recoil and apologize upon hearing the outcry of an animal whose toes they had accidentally trod on? Both animal and human have feelings, duh.

[@Markus_Kennedy]

I like how respectful and receptive he was at the end, two good guys having a very important discusion. Well done!

[@jimmyc5480]

Amazing conversation again Ed!! I enjoy your level of empathy towards other people, and people's views as well. The seed was definitively planted, and I hope he makes the connection to become more compassionate toward sentient beings.

[@MartenH45]

Doesn't want to impose an opinion on another human but is perfectly fine with oposing death on an innocent animal??

[@susiejanya5666]

Just when i lost hope for this guy... he asks Ed about himself and actually wants his contact!!!! You really made him think and maybe he just couldn’t admit out loud that maybe you have a point! What a great ending!!!! Amazing work Ed!!!! Vegan for the animals!!!! 💚💚💚

[@MartenH45]

Thank you so much Ed, for your perfect logic. It's so satisfying to watch your argumentation. You give me faith in humanity. I don't get hpw the other person doesn't understand. It's so obvious. Thanks so much man.

[@RAYJAGAN]

The student in the end says 'I sometimes hold a strong view when entering with a debate mindset. But I sometimes also take in my counterpart's view ..' This is an excellent attitude to have ..

[@hellderm]

At 4:54 - "We are not really damaging that much of the environment" Wait, what???

[@ItsBinhRepaired]

Why do people care about preservation of things so much? If we completely destroy the earth, mankind will be wiped from the planet. Every living thing on the planet will die eventually no matter what we do. The galaxy is super old and the universe is even older. We're just a speck in space in an even smaller speck of time. We think life is special, but everything is special. Show me another pluto. Even if you find something similar, it's not the same. Everything changes all the time. Species come into existence and go extinct all the time. Pain is just a defense mechanism. It is there by design/evolution to force us to be active and to chase down our food. Everything has defense mechanisms. Pain is just a signal that causes a reaction. We can't live on pure fresh vegetables like a cow. We need to modify food, fortify it with vitamins, etc. The way I see it, animals were put on the planet to convert things we can't eat into things we can. Why not eat dirt, take in sunlight, and breath carbon dioxide? Because we can't, so plants do that. Why not eat grass? Because we can't, so we eat cows. Why not eat bugs? Because we don't like to, so we eat animals that ate animals that ate bugs. We're all just transferring energy from one form to another. Why don't we eat those that died a natural death? Imagine we bred a bunch of cows and then only ate them when they died of old age.

[@vietnow4611]

@@ItsBinhRepaired lololololol

[@ItsBinhRepaired]

All these people that say we'd starve if we had to kill animals ourselves for food, try farming enough food to feed yourself 365 days a year, 3 meals a day and let me know how many people will die because their plants keep dying...friggin hypocrites. It's much easier to let plants grow naturally, let the animals graze on it naturally, then eat them. None of this mow the lawn bs...plants that livestock eat are much easier to grow than your fancy avocados, beans, mangoes, strawberries, pistachios, almonds, etc. I'd be much more successful chasing a wild animal and killing it than growing enough plants to keep myself alive. If we left it as nature designed it, meat makes much more sense. We'd also be naturally fit chasing down our food, instead of having to go to a gym. Another thing. If vegans think this is wrong, they should be against having pets. Try treating a human as a pet their entire life and let me know how humane that is. And then there's all this stuff we buy. Vegans should be against it as well, because we force others to do cheap labor. Imagine working and living on $1 a day. If we all lived equally with less pain and suffering, nobody would be able to afford cars, tvs, cell phones, laptops, a house, etc. We could build our own, but the government would actually be the ones that own it and will charge us for living here. The truth is, someone will always have ti be on the bottom working for peanuts. Slavery still exists, we just don't have the slaves in our homes. Everyone wants slaves, it's only because "machines" don't have feelings that we can say we don't own slaves, but even though we have machines to do our laundry/dishes, we're still too lazy to give our clothes/dishes to those slave machines and people still argue about not wanting to do it because it's "too much work..." We're all spoiled and everyone just wants more and more. Even our homeless are well off compared to people in 3rd world countries. Vegans talk about how we don't need to eat meat to survive, well we don't need a whole bunch of other stuff to survive either.

[@ryansmith7836]

It's Binh Repaired fucking nihilist.

[@lil_weasel219]

@@ItsBinhRepaired because the objective is to minimise suffering. And humans will find ways to surbibe even in a completely dystopian natureless reality

[@wissen9000]

dude i wish more people were like this guy, he is a good example of how these debates should go.

[@MarkMeloche]

"Does sensory pleasure provide a moral justification for an action?" Fantastic question!

[@zenmint]

@@charlesfraunhofer7893 So if it feels good to murder other humans, thats ethical?

[@gonzobatano5352]

"I think if it feels good, do it, stop making yourself suffer, anti-pedophilia is inhuman, it has no care for the feelings of people, and no care for fun, fuck anti-pedophiles!" FYP

[@MarkMeloche]

@@issuma8223 We are in violent agreement. That's why Ed asked the question.

[@TheUnholyPosole]

...you people are dumb, that statement neglects peoples need for nutrition. It's not a fantastic question.

[@sonnymery4193]

@@TheUnholyPosole you dont need meat for nutrition, plenty of long term vegans living happy healthy lives eating nothing but plants

[@highroadtohell]

Thanks for going out there and educating, Ed! Making such a difference 🐮 🐑 🌱 💪

[@TigerwomanXsweden]

"we eat meat for survival." Bruh, cutting out meat would help us survive much longer.

[@NatalieGennaoui]

Ed is seriously amazing. The questions always trigger serious thought.

[@eliseplease6304]

he really said animals are a necessity for entertainment purposes...

[@80slimshadys]

Yea I picked that up too, it's a pretty weird statement. "it's completely necessary for my survival that i see a bear riding a tricycle" Logic

[@dafffodil]

This is the cultural zeitgeist. This is why people have pets, and why people go to the zoo, and why people go on whale watching tours, and extends to why people eat animals. In a culture where were almost universally treat animals as a spectacle to be exploited for our enjoyment, it makes sense that so many people feel this way, including you and and I at one point in our lives, I presume.

[@johnnyjohnston9321]

He meant entertainment as in pleasure from eating a delicious plate of steak

[@valmacclinchy]

@@dafffodil can't compare having pets with going to a zoo. I rescued a dog. Dogs are domesticated. He's part of the family. He's not entertainment. Zoos take wild animals and keep them in cages and unnatural environments.

[@smudge8882]

I mean he said it himself. He was in debate mode. People who participate in debate clubs are well aware of this, but debating for one side doesn't necessarily mean that you agree with it. He probably saw the "debate a vegan" sign and figured it was his job to make moral arguments for consuming animal products for the purpose of debate. He knew his points weren't good, and he did say that himself; he just continued the debate because he "was in debate mode", his words, and yeah, that's typically how debates work. You have to keep arguing points even if you don't believe them necessarily (at least in formal debates).

[@FriedKale]

Loved this conversation ✌

[@catalinalee1994]

I Love how they were both so respectful and calm during the debate .

[@ren_opuntia]

Well done, Ed. Great conversation! Thanks for everything you do.

[@treeeester]

"I don't think we should condemn EVERY person that chooses to abuse kittens." 😮 Yes, "creating an incentive system to encourage them not to abuse kittens". Yeah, it's called locking them up if they do! Oh my goodness! Same go for child abusers? Don't beat your child today, get a free pack of gum.🙄

[@The_Pedal_Guy]

Dang it Ed, you truly are an exemplary human being. Great video.

[@xBALL3R]

at least he tried :) we all know it is impossible to debate veganism!

[@charlesfraunhofer7893]

What about telling me something nice? Like "wow, you're so great, so Charles!".

[@NoAcehere]

Haha...good one. Veganism is bad for you. Please eat more animals. It is better for your health.

[@jakequenet]

David Nielsen oh Jesus

[@dijon0810]

@@NoAcehere how so?

[@orpheusowlallearthlingsmat6076]

Important to watch all the way to the end -- I believe this guy was convinced to go vegan :)

[@fredx94]

Enjoyable conversation. Both have good points and being respectful of each oth

[@elala8850]

I love how he (student) is open-minded to wanna know more! :D Ed is really good at conveying messages too.

[@kusaweir3074]

The types of arguments these 'smart' students contrive to justify killing animals, concerns me.

[@kusaweir3074]

@Daniel Grozier Vegetarian since birth. Vegan 3 years. I'm 30 years old.

[@Flobb1t]

At least they have a better argument than "bacon tho"

[@serhiyvmusic]

him having good grades doesn't reflect his views on morality. just because he's in an ivy league school that doesn't mean he knows everything or can't be exposed to a new way of thinking

[@matsjonsson1704]

@@serhiyvmusic Yupp, its like claiming biologists are not as smart as dentists, because they can`t mend teeth.

[@kusaweir3074]

@@serhiyvmusic No there's a clear desire to justify his own exploitation of animals. He's using his intelligence to create arguments for an activity he knows is unjustified. Believe me, I've argued with smarter people than this and they don't try to word salad this much because it quite immediately becomes apparent to them that they will start not making sense if they try.

[@57sp]

When I adopted my dog, I decided to go vegan. I could no longer look at his eyes without feeling pain for the rest of the animals. My pet is the best thing has ever happened to me!! And, all animals are created equal. ❗💚🌍 I can't believe he said animals don't have feelings...

[@Spatzenzunge]

Just out of curiosity: are you feeding your dog a vegan diet as well? I know that it's possible, I'm not trying to start arguing that it's not.

[@Spiralsinto]

Wow that was amazing. One of the best man on the street interviews I have seen Ed done.

[@giulias.5104]

Confident and blind of the suffering that eating animal produce directly in the people who starve for lack of food, in billions of animals, and indirectly in all of us leaving in this planet! 💔

[@darst16]

And this is how I know just because you go to an Ivy League school, can mean absolutely nothing

[@jean6453]

One if the biggest fools I know has his doctorate.Also education can be so narrowly focused that the person isn't aware of the rest of the world.

[@0blivionCor]

you say that...and he seemed stubborn and held silly views and excuses no doubt, but at least, even admittedly, it got him thinking about things differently then he had before and asked for some follow up information. Progress at least. Maybe that guy will be vegan this time next year

[@rubsthekale5947]

Hey we can't all be geniuses on every matter there is. I'm vegan and strongly disagree with the vegans who think they are somehow more brilliant than everyone else soley because they're vegan, it doesn't help and makes you look like an elitist asshole. I'm sure most people are smart enough to grasp the logic behind veganism but it'll be damn near impossible to make them quit eating animal products. In my opnion it doesn't take above average intelligence or a high understanding of morals and logic to follow a vegan lifestyle, but compassion. Enough compassion to be able to say, "So what if this doesn't taste as good at least I'm not supporting suffering and death."

[@starcatcher3691]

@@rubsthekale5947 Superiority complexes are ugly. And I wouldnt say vegans are more intelligent on everything but they are on the diet and ethics of a vegan diet.

[@jean6453]

My point is simply, having a Ivy League education does not mean you aren't a fool, or that you are some how more educated than someone without a college degree. That's all. Of course Ed is gentle and patient. And I hope the student decides to analyze his assumptions about morality being subjective.

[@Appleby2525]

Earthling Ed, love you. I met you in Austin during a speech of yours. I have learned to talk about this from your channel. This specific conversation was great. Thank you for changing my life for the better!

[@LouisGedo]

This young man is no different from most carnists; puts forth fallacious argument after fallacious argument in a vain attempt to rationalize the preventable intentional needless violence perpetrated upon innocent sentient individuals that he chooses to make himself complicit in. Truly sad.....but predictable.

[@farmergiles6142]

@Daniel Grozier have you been drinking ?

[@jonahlevi3178]

ya well if he was tied to a chair in a slaughted house for a day he wouldn't make any arguments against it 😂 he'd probably wanna fucking die

[@jonahlevi3178]

seeing all the horrific shit that happens

[@Mikestah55]

To be honest. Ed is debating the wong guy about morality.

[@Wearephuct-O]

Are you tying to say that Facts and Logic Destroy Carnist Nonsense Every Time?

[@karenishness1]

Absolutely brilliant discussion. Such a skilled interviewer. Ed, you're a treasure!

[@amybethhurst]

When your "choice" tortures others, tho.

[@jakedickson2311]

Still a choice logically.

[@BeldnerFilms]

Another great conversation ED. Thanks for all the work that you are doing,

[@nicktheavatar_]

16:28 Last thing I expected from this video was for Ed to accidentally record a QuIdditch match going down LOL

[@TimmyTheSnail]

Wow he wanted your details at the end, you really did make a big impression on him! Well done Ed, great video and discussion as usual. Thank you!

[@Just_A_Thought1217]

I love these videos by Ed. And as a fellow vegan I respect how some of these students bring across their argument. Sometimes they will say their point and I wonder how Ed is going to respond. And he always hits it right on the head. EVERYTIME . I love an intellectual debate on veganism. A++++

[@σχέδιο-υ2γ]

This ended up really well actually. Would'nt have expected he would have asked for your contact :) You definitely had him thinking !

[@Eph3mme]

iF w3 D0 Not Br33d deM dey WuldntT exiZT

[@Kosmo999]

Well they wouldn’t... lol

[@MrNioMoon]

@@Kosmo999 Well, point is, that's not an excuse to continue breeding and to continue causing unnecessary harm.

[@Kosmo999]

OhNo Antonio all of life is suffering, for all who have ever lived? What makes you think without human intervention they would be better off? I’ve seen a dingo rip open a cow with all its guts walking around out of it still trying to run away. This is the way of biology

[@Kosmo999]

At least cows where I come from get a nice bolt to the back of the head and lights out. Waaaaaaaaaaaassy better than wild dogs ripping at ya face and udder? What do you think

[@Kosmo999]

OhNo Antonio have you ever smashed a fishes head in with a rock bro?

[@nikis356]

That was the most satisfying and respectfull discussion ive seen so far 👍🌱

[@alicesmith8134]

5 minutes in and he's justifying dog fighting

[@Baz87100]

He's only saying this so he can justify his actions for eating and using animal products. He's trying very hard to not be a hypocrite, but I don't think he truly believes that dog fighting is OK, unless he is totally psychotic.. Which is always a possibility.

[@SoniaAnastasiaaa]

@@Baz87100 LOL exactly why eating animals are not okay 😂 to be logically and morally consistent, you sound like a psychopath. (which you are one if you eat meat anyway so that rests this case haha)

[@Pete_1986]

He's Chinese, his parents or grandparents probably eat dogs. Animals are just objects in Asia, their pain and suffering means absolutley nothing to most of them.

[@tamcon72]

@@Pete_1986 This is a grossly insensitive generalization, dude.

[@Pete_1986]

@@tamcon72 how is it a generalisation? I said his parents or grandparents 'probably' eat dogs. This is true, dogs are consumed in huge numbers in parts of Asia meaning that any given Chinese person is likely, although not certain, to have a family member who enjoys eating them. You only have to look at the treatment of animals in Asia to know that their suffering is of little importance to most people there. Again, not everyone, hence why i said 'most'.

[@Kre8or333]

I love this! To me, being raised on meat, and becoming vegan, I found that I had always been told that you basically can't survive without meat in your diet. -- As I got older and actually looked into what I eat, found that it's not only possible, but there are Huge cognitive and health benefits to Not eating meat. Not to mention not feeling guilty about some animal having to be slaughtered for my meals. -- A big part that did it for me, was watching a cow in captivity being released into a field for the first time. It was literally jumping around with this Huge smile on it's face, licking the faces of it's saviors. If a cow can show that kind of emotion, think about what it's thinking. Especially when it's raised in a slaughter house. -- Now take that image, and apply it to humans. It'd break your heart. And you Can Absolutely do something about it. But some people Choose not to. -- On the whole idea of being bred to eat. You Could apply that same "logic" to cannibalism. But we don't. Because it's wrong.

[@bigwigstothegibbets6157]

Is eating animals all out morally indefensible or has Yale lowered the bar for acceptance?

[@Van-yo2xr]

Legacies are a thing, international applications aren’t as strictly need blind (money counts) and people can have a very narrow skill set i.e. a anthropology student may have poor skills in ethical reason.

[@issuma8223]

Ever hear of Skull & Bones?

[@bigwigstothegibbets6157]

@@issuma8223 That reminds me of Bush and his graduation from Yale.

[@StavGoldberg]

Ed, I appreciate these videos very much. You are really an artist of debate and equanimity. The end of this talk really showed me that these debates are actually working!

[@Jordan18561]

Hi everyone. I’m not a vegan. I had an interesting talk about veganism with a former classmate who told me about this channel. Here are some of my questions about the vegan way of life: 1- What about killing insects? (Mosquitos, roaches, ants, etc) Where do you draw the line and why? 2- From a vegan point of view, is it wrong for animals to eat other animals? Should we try and stop animals from eating each other? 3- Is eating meat harvested from an animal that I hunted less wrong than eating meat produced by the corrupted factory farming system? 4- Is it wrong to kill a human fetus? Why or why not? 5- Is veganism compatible with religions like Judaism and Christianity? Thank you in advance for your thoughts and your time. God bless!

[@siddhanthravichandran3245]

I think most of your arguments are answered in the video.

[@jimmmyz169]

Man you are amazing! One in a million! I'm so glad you do what you do! I hope you continue gaining more and more attention and support, this was so cool to see! The ending was really nice!

[@PpAirO5]

Damn, how can people think like this guy 😳?

[@MB-my5le]

You approach these conversations with such compassion and patience. That's truly your superpower. People can argue, and bully and fight, but to gain true understanding requires empathy and you've got enough for both the animals and the disillusioned humans. Thank you

[@isaiahyoungbrown]

Guy: ed can I get that number real quick. Ed: sure Lol I mean Ed's pretty cute, wish he was in that camp.

[@ashowboat]

Ed is totally HOT!

[@aniangambos3716]

It was really nice seeing this Yale Student stop speaking, thinking and searching for answers. You could really watch him questioning his morals and i think it was beautifull. No frustration and insults as an answer, but just an open mind and ear und the intention to have a good discussion. Keep the great work up, Ed!

[@AdrienPyke]

Carnists are amazing. Just straight up said racism and dogfighting is ok just so he didn't have to admit eating meat is wrong

[@raynabryn]

Amazing as usual @Earthling Ed! Thank you! I look forward to more podcast episodes 💕

[@jessicasummers5623]

really distracted by the quidditch match in the background haha

[@cheezheadz3928]

I hadn't noticed what was going on because I was paying attention to the purpose of the vide.

[@juliewake4585]

To tell you the truth I hadn’t noticed until I read the comments.

[@elkecita77]

What a positive debate and ending. Lovely guy, hopefully the seeds you planted will grow into beautiful vegan flowers! 🌻🌻🌻

[@marcmarkabawi6285]

I hope more people educate themselves about things before they make decisions

[@almi6342]

What I really enjoy about your channel is that, at its core, it's not necessarily about veganism but about rigorous thinking and making conscious choices. Watching some of your discussions I've seen some people who haven't dared to think, yet, others who did so but built their thinking on alternate premises. Thinking about veganism, my POV is that without morale attitude its not mandatory. Solely having and ecological or economical perspective, reducing the production of animal products drastically appears plausible. omitting the potentials coming with utilizing animals, however, is not self-evident. Best wishes from Germany. :)

[@HaggardPillockHD]

Guys need to remember that this student probably never thought about this topic, much less discuss it in this fashion before. I think he did well to engage in the first place; this shows he is open-minded, curious, and willing to accept different perspectives. This is probably why he is in an Ivy League school, and most of the salty comments hint at some sort of envy.

[@douggottlieb]

I used to think getting into Yale was impressive. Now I know it just means mommy and daddy have money. “Dogs bred for fighting is morally okay.” Equating accidentally stepping on an ant to slaughter. Wild animal life is of a higher value than farm bred. “I want everyone else to live by a set of moral rules. Except for me. I will live my own moral relativism. ” Yikes. Ed, you’re an inspiration. I get as angry at these people and watching you stay on point, focusing on educating and working for change really helps. Thank you.

[@TranceHeed]

Pretty scary that an intelligent guy just can't get it - he actually agrees with the logic discussed then makes an excuse to disagree based on no logic.

[@charlesfraunhofer7893]

He IS logical, I heard it, you don't know what logic is. I'm starting to think it's morally good to eat meat, it gives pleasure.

[@Limemill]

Charles Fraunhofer it really depends on your definition of what’s moral. It may be moral to eat other people, too. After all, according to all cannibals out there, human flesh is even tastier than animal meat. It may be moral to kill someone over a grudge because it will feel good. And so on.

[@jaynemesis]

It takes time for people to really compute things. They need time to reflect. No debate will ever convince anyone on the spot. But when they go home and think about it, then research further.. that's when their minds change. It's entirely natural to dismiss it the first time you are confronted, even if you are a logical, intelligent well meaning, morale person.

[@TranceHeed]

jaynemesis Agreed 👌🏼

[@jamesfortin4525]

One thing to remember is that intelligence on it's own doesnt necessarily lead to logical decision making. Its often been observed that intelligent people are simply better at justifying their position, regardless of that position being morally sound. This is what a good defense lawyer will do. Intelligence is often used articulate a more elaborate defense, but it doesnt mean that that position should be defended

[@EliseSecond]

This conversation is a golden example of conversation about the topic. So many different arguments that are often used get used, as well as completely new arguments. So interesting, I'm saving this to watch more often. Edit: I am kinda surprised that he states that he thinks nothing is morally wrong and it's all subjective. Scientific studies showed that humans do have a clear moral baseline at which almost all humans operate. Only people with strong psychopathy or other personality disorders don't. Even small children have set moral behaviors. It's baked in us biologically. (Even some apes have it.)

[@peathedisneyfanmediacorner6160]

Animals have feelings! We can't be idiots sayin' that they don't feel pain!

[@starcatcher3691]

Right. All of our senses tell us they do have feelings

[@laurentfaurite9199]

@@starcatcher3691 So what?