Can We Defend The Holocaust Comparison In Advocacy?
From All-Creatures.org Animal Rights Activism Articles Archive

FROM

Faunalytics
May 2016

The author describes common arguments and counter-arguments for using the analogy and says the counter-arguments are generally related to an "ethical blindness" and a speciesism that runs deep in our culture.

holocaust

The choice of which rhetorical methods and strategies most effectively persuade people to care about farmed animals is a subject of debate among animal advocates. One of the most controversial rhetorical strategies that has been used in animal advocacy is "the holocaust comparison," which attempts to contrast the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust to the way animals are treated in today's agricultural system. We have covered this rhetorical strategy previously at Faunalytics, looking specifically at the ethics of PETA's "Holocaust On Your Plate" campaign.

This article from the Journal of Critical Animal Studies explores both the history of the Holocaust comparison (such as the PETA campaign and others) and explores the analogy in some depth. The author describes common arguments and counter-arguments for using the analogy and says the counter-arguments are generally related to an "ethical blindness" and a speciesism that runs deep in our culture. Citing a range of philosophers, from Peter Singer to Jeremy Bentham and newer contemporaries such as David Sztybel, the author argues that analogy should be considered illuminating rather than objectionable.

While many advocates might agree that there is some merit to the comparison, many advocates also argue that the analogy is too insensitive to Jews (and other Holocaust victims) to be employed effectively. These campaigns are similar to comparisons of animal agriculture and human slavery. Again, while the parallels exist, there is a substantial risk that the analogy will offend large groups of Africans and African-Americans. While the author here supports such campaigns, most animal advocates will want to use such comparisons with caution and show respect for all victims of oppression, including humans.

Read the entire article "The Analogy Between the Holocaust and Animal Factory Farming: A Defense" in The Journal of Critical Animal Studies, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2014.

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