To eat liver, knowing that you, too, have a liver, brushes up against the cannibalism taboo. The closer we are to a species, emotionally or phylogenetically, the more potent our horror at the prospect of tucking in, the more butchery feels like murder. Pets and primates, wrote Mead, come under the category "unthinkable to eat." The same cultures that eat monkey meat have traditionally drawn the line at apes.
The consumption of liver raises complex ethical questions that touch on the taboo surrounding cannibalism. The idea of eating an organ that humans also possess evokes discomfort and challenges societal norms. As our emotional and biological connections to other species deepen, the horror associated with consuming them intensifies. This is particularly evident in our relationships with pets and primates, which are largely considered off-limits for consumption due to their close ties to humanity.
This cultural divide becomes even more evident in practices such as the consumption of monkey meat, which contrasts sharply with the universal aversion to eating apes. While some cultures may indulge in certain types of animal flesh, they often draw a clear line when it comes to species that are perceived as too closely related to humans. This raises questions about how we classify beings and the ethical implications of our dietary choices.
