How smart would cows have to become for you to stop eating beef?
Obviously this question is only for people who eat beef regularly.
But I just was wondering, what IQ/ability would make you swear off beef? If they could speak like an 8 y.o, would that be enough to cut off beef? If they got an IQ of 80, would that do it?
Intelligence has nothing to do with it. Intelligence isn't even well defined or measurable. Things like IQ are designed for humans, so they would not be applicable to other beings. They're barely even useful for human applications.
It's an interesting question though. First, I'll ask myself why I eat beef in the first place.
It's tasty
It's relatively cheap
Very nutrient dense, so it's easier to consume
Why do I not eat dogs or cats?
They are not socially acceptable to consume
They contribute positively to my life in other ways than being a food source
I'm pretty sure that a dog/cat could be dumb as a rock and I still wouldn't eat them because I'd still enjoy their company.
Now I do try to reduce the amount of beef I consume, but it's mainly for environmental reasons.