The intelligence argument feels compelling. However, if intelligence defines worth, you’ve opened a door you really don’t want to open.
Intelligence is the wrong measuring stick.
Yes, pigs are brainiacs. We’ve certainly underestimated these problem solvers, who outperform dogs on certain cognitive tests. But here’s the problem: if intelligence is what earns an animal the right not to be harmed, then farming pigs for their flesh instead of dogs doesn’t make much sense.
Even though dogs are commonly exploited, there is an assumption that they are the best companions for humans. And one reason to aim to protect their interests is that they’re so smart, can do tricks, and know their own name. But this is the case for animals who are farmed, like pigs.
We do not believe (or at least certainly shouldn’t, and those who do are being discriminatory) that a more intelligent human deserves protection and an unintelligent one is so devoid of value that they could be farmed without a second thought. A newborn infant, who cannot reason or communicate, is not fair game, even if we know their intelligence is unlikely to expand. Therefore, using intelligence as a weapon against other animals is nonsensical.
What actually matters is sentience.
Investigate someone’s values long enough, and typically, what is valued is the experience of an individual. Can they suffer? Can they feel joy?
Children aren’t usually as intelligent as they will grow to be. But even while we were children, we suffered when someone hurt our feelings, and we cried in pain when we grazed our knees.
Intelligence can help someone navigate through those emotions, perhaps even better manage them, and avoid as much suffering. But lower intelligence doesn’t mean the experience isn’t present or that it’s not significant to the subject.
They have interests, and we override them entirely.
An interest doesn’t require sophistication to be real. A pig has an interest in not being confined, not being frightened, being around loved ones, and being, well, a pig. They love to root in soil, to nest for their family and friends, and navigate the world. They don’t want to be killed six months into their life to be eaten. They don’t want to be forcibly impregnated if they’re sows and confined to crates barely bigger than their broken bodies. These interests are expressed constantly, and we choose to dismiss them if we want to use them for our own purposes.
You don’t have to be clever to have something to lose. Every sentient animal has everything to lose.
This isn’t why their lives are valuable.
This argument, if held consistently, would have terrible consequences for even the human animal. Many individuals would be harmed on the basis that they’d be categorised outside of an arbitrary level of intelligence, which ultimately doesn’t affect the fear they experience in a slaughterhouse, the joy they feel running around in a safe environment, or the warmth they hold around someone they love.
Smart or not, sentient beings deserve their lives to be considered, and their best interests to be protected. Be it for food or for other purposes, pigs should be left out of the equation.
