Came here to post this article. David Foster Wallace's journalism/essays/non-fiction are some of his best writings IMO. Consider the Lobster is a prime example.

Came here to post this article. David Foster Wallace's journalism/essays/non-fiction are some of his best writings IMO. Consider the Lobster is a prime example. He turns a a request to cover a famous lobster food festival into a piece simultaneously exploring the biology of lobsters and our relationship with food both culturally and philosophically. In particular, the ethics of preparing lobster by boiling alive. It provides a great discussion about the question OP is trying to answer.