Is cannibalism ethical?

This position holds that forms of cannibalism already exist within mainstream society. It points to endocannibalism as a spiritual rite, the consumption of placenta as a modern practice, and the Christian Eucharist as a metaphorical form of cannibalism.

This position holds that cannibalism has only come to be seen as unethical in relatively recent times. It points to the practice's long history across cultures, continents and millennia — once even believed to cure disease — supported by archaeological evidence of past cannibal societies.

This position holds that cannibalism is ethical only when survival demands it. It argues that, outside a genuine life-or-death situation, eating human flesh is morally abhorrent — but that when one's own life depends on it, ordinary morality understandably takes a backseat.