A Response to Cultural Arguments in the Renewed Disputes over the Ethics of Bullfighting

Bullfighting has a strong historical tradition in Spain, but now it is beginning to be challenged by various sectors in society. The debate about the ethics of bullfighting is by no means new. But, perhaps because of its continuous decline in popularity, and as a result of emerging political circumstances in Spain (particularly in Catalonia), some public intellectuals have attempted a new defence of bullfighting, renewing an ethical discussion that seemed to be over. In this article, I review one particular type of argument that is sometimes used as a defence of bullfighting: the appeal to culture and tradition. I conclude that most of these arguments rely on questionable assumptions and faulty reasoning, and consequently, bullfighting remains ethically indefensible. Yet, I point out that human nature appears to crave for violent entertainment, and we will need to find ethical ways to deal with that.