Reply to Re: PETA KILLS ANIMALS?!?!
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Heyas Fireball,
"Something else that determines wether an animal is 'curb stomping' or not is its actions. If a dog ran at me and bit my leg, I would kick it with my other. If I see an ant trail in my backyard on a nice sunny day I don't run in my room and grab a magnifying glass..."
Agreed. There is no compelling 'moral' argument for not defending yourself. But what I was talking about was not self defense so much as it was about general cruelty and/or undeserved aggression against animals because someone has the silly belief that animals hate humans or some such.
"Sure, appearences and emotion are some factors that a judge an animal by, but you can easily anthropomorphise any creature if you really wanted to, so that doesn't entirely count.
I wasn't saying that you cannot anthropomorphisize other animals/insects. I was merely pointing out why it is that we(and ALL species really) generally treat those creatures that are most similar/familiar to us better than we/they treat species which are alien. This is basic anthropology stuff here.
"Also, I believe altruistic behaviour can exist, I've just yet to have seen it."
Perhaps I should be more specific here. RECIPROCAL ALTRUISM does exist, yes. But the sort of altruism found in fiction where someone does something 'good' and is not getting ANYTHING in return for the behavior does not exist. Any moral act you can possibly state I can easily show you where the 'reward'/benefit is for the individual.
"Something else that determines wether an animal is 'curb stomping' or not is its actions. If a dog ran at me and bit my leg, I would kick it with my other. If I see an ant trail in my backyard on a nice sunny day I don't run in my room and grab a magnifying glass..."
Agreed. There is no compelling 'moral' argument for not defending yourself. But what I was talking about was not self defense so much as it was about general cruelty and/or undeserved aggression against animals because someone has the silly belief that animals hate humans or some such.
"Sure, appearences and emotion are some factors that a judge an animal by, but you can easily anthropomorphise any creature if you really wanted to, so that doesn't entirely count.
I wasn't saying that you cannot anthropomorphisize other animals/insects. I was merely pointing out why it is that we(and ALL species really) generally treat those creatures that are most similar/familiar to us better than we/they treat species which are alien. This is basic anthropology stuff here.
"Also, I believe altruistic behaviour can exist, I've just yet to have seen it."
Perhaps I should be more specific here. RECIPROCAL ALTRUISM does exist, yes. But the sort of altruism found in fiction where someone does something 'good' and is not getting ANYTHING in return for the behavior does not exist. Any moral act you can possibly state I can easily show you where the 'reward'/benefit is for the individual.
