Final answer:
True. A cultural materialist would argue that the Hindu taboo against killing cattle arose because they are more useful alive than dead. Cattle provide various resources and benefits to the Indian society, such as dung for fuel and work in the fields. The cultural and religious significance of cattle should also be considered.
Step-by-step explanation:
A cultural materialist would argue that the Hindu taboo against killing cattle arose because this type of animal is worth more alive than dead.
Marvin Harris, a cultural anthropologist, explores the economic rationale associated with revering cattle in his book Cow, Pigs, Wars, and Witches. He suggests that cattle are considered sacred in Hinduism because they are more useful when allowed to live out their natural lifespans than when slaughtered at a young age for meat alone. In India, cattle provide dung for fuel, traction for plowing fields, limited milk production, and reproductive capacity. When cattle die of old age, beef and leather are harvested by those in the lowest socioeconomic class.
This economic rationale does not negate the cultural and religious importance of cattle to Indian people. Understanding animals' symbolic roles is critical to understanding human belief systems.