Hacker News Reader

Is there evidence that plants feel pain or that bugs do not? I don't know of any, but I would definitively be interested as that could change my view. I want to go wherever the evidence leads, even if it's uncomfortable.

In either case, if plants did feel pain, would a person cause more suffering by eating plants or by eating animals that eat plants?

View on HN

Empirically, we know that animals/insects feel pain. The same cannot be said for plants at this time. Therefore we can act on the information we have and not what we might speculate on, until such time as evidence provides a definitive answer.

If at some time in the future it can be proven that plants feel pain, then it will depend upon their level of pain as they do not have a central nervous system nor brain as animals/insects.

Everyone will have to decide for themselves what course of action to follow, as we do need to consume food in order to survive.

Star Trek replicators would solve all these philosophical quandaries.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com