A frequent angry objection to veganism and vegan advocacy is that because vegans kill animals too, they don’t hold the high moral ground. This seems to stem from a wish to show vegan principles don’t lead us to a better or more morally desirable outcome.

Put another way, critics seem to be saying that chasing a higher moral ground is objectionable, yet that runs counter to the whole point of human moral agency and indeed the entire ethical project in which humans have engaged for thousands of years.

I want to allay the fears of such critics. Seeking to act with moral clarity and striving to tackle injustice are morally desirable behaviours; the moral “high ground” is indeed what we should seek. It would be odd indeed to proclaim our humanity while arguing in favour of a race to the bottom.

When it comes to veganism, vegan ethical principles are admirable and honourable and when applied with any conviction will always mean better outcomes, when our metric is tackling injustice to other animals.

There IS a moral high ground when it comes to treating other animals fairly and vegan principles help us to make choices that take us closer to that. When critics argue that vegan ethics do not lead to better choices than otherwise, they are simply wrong.

We should all want the moral high ground.