Animals
Subjects Discussed: * The basics of the paleo diet
* Paleo versus low-carb diets
* The benefits of paleo: not just weight loss
* Easing into paleo
* The evolutionary framework for nutrition and medicine
* The state of modern medicine
* The claimed health benefits of vegetarianism and veganism
* Concerns for animal welfare
* Debates and disputes in the paleo community
* Wheat and gluten
* Cheating on paleo
* Paleo as life-transforming
* Robb's political activism
* Robb's podcast, book, and online resources.
Question: Should a person contribute to animal welfare organizations? Animal shelters find good homes for abandoned and abused pets. They also offer assistance to pet owners during emergencies, such as the recent wildfires in Colorado. That work seems laudable to me – and something that a rational person might support and even contribute to. Yet such groups often advocate wrong views (such as veganism) and support rights-violations (such as animal welfare laws). So are such groups worthy of support or not?
Question: What does it mean to treat an animal humanely? The term "humanely" when applied to animals is confusing to me. More generally, what is the proper moral treatment of animals?
Question: Do animals have rights? If not, why not? Given that we don't need to eat animals to survive, shouldn't we be vegetarians or vegans? Also, if animals don't have rights, are people then entitled to do whatever they please with animals that they own?
Question: Would you kill your pets for food? Why and why not?
Question: How should we judge NFL quarterback Michael Vick? As an animal lover, I was appalled when the NFL allowed Michael Vick to play pro football again after his dog-fighting episodes. But now that he's doing well, part of me wants to cheer for him, telling myself that he's a "reformed man who deserves a second chance". Is that rational of me? How do we know if someone has truly turned over a new leaf morally after prior bad acts?
Question: Are people who abuse their pets immoral? Or: Should we think ill of someone for neglecting or abusing their pets? If so, why?

