ABSTRACT
Lacto-vegetarians are often associated with progressive social thought, though there have been a few infamous exceptions like Adolph Hitler and Richard Wagner. As Fox points out, vegetarianism is an umbrella term for a wide range of types: lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products, but no eggs or meat; lacto-ovo vegetarians consume eggs and dairy products, but not meat; macrobiotic vegetarians consume only whole grains, sea and land vegetables, nuts and beans. Like religion, or for that matter psychoanalysis, vegetarianism can be life-affirming or life-denying, depending on the individual who embraces such a social practice. This chapter argues that the ethical values that are lodged in the vegetarian way of life, such as nonviolence, unreasonable exploitation of Nature, the respectful acceptance and affirmation of the Other, and planet survival are ultimately animated by what analysts would call "mature" ethical emotions of love and compassion.
