Tasty Bacon or Fellow Being? The Paradox of How We Relate to the Intelligence and Emotions of Pigs

Photo by Matthieu Pétiard

Pigs are fascinating animals. Science shows they can solve challenging problems, love to play, display wide-ranging emotions, and have unique personalities. In short, they are both intelligent and sentient—capable of feeling. It’s clear that it is illogical and immoral to treat pigs as mere objects.

In 2015, I reviewed an essay notable for its summary and distillation of research on sentience in pigs. Compiled by researchers Lori Marino and Christina M....