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Sentience is where we draw the line. You're not replying to anyone who said "killing" is wrong. We're talking specifically about the slaughter of animals. Reduc

Sentience is where we draw the line. You're not replying to anyone who said "killing" is wrong. We're talking specifically about the slaughter of animals. Reducing it all down to just "life" is fallacious.

alanwatts 10y ago
Define sentience? The word originates from the Latin verb sentire, "to feel". Plants feel their environment. The Venus Fly Trap feels when an insect is on it, for example. >Plants are sessile, highly sensitive organisms that actively compete for environmental resources both above and below the ground. They assess their surroundings, estimate how much energy they need for particular goals, and then realise the optimum variant. They take measures to control certain environmental resources. They perceive themselves and can distinguish between ‘self’ and ‘non-self’. They process and evaluate information and then modify their behaviour accordingly. [1]Biocommunication of Plants, http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783642235238 http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783642235238 [2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(physiology) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(physiology... A more valid argument is that the sound or sight of killing an animal is more off-putting than killing a plant, which is of course a purely subjective sentiment, hence the deeming of "right vs wrong" which is itself a purely subjective sentiment.
- kpil 10y ago
  Neuron count is fine for me. Lobsters an wasps are having about the same neuron count, slightly more than mosquitos.
- Falling3 10y ago
  Plants don't feel their environment. They react to stimuli as all life does. Sentience is defined as the capacity to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively. Since we have very little understanding of how consciousness works and how to test discern whether an entity is conscious or not, I realize this is a sticking point for a lot of people. But I think you'll agree that there's a very real difference between killing a plant and killing a member of your family. And that distinction applies to many animals as well.

alanwatts 10y ago

Define sentience? The word originates from the Latin verb sentire, "to feel". Plants feel their environment. The Venus Fly Trap feels when an insect is on it, for example. >Plants are sessile, highly sensitive organisms that actively compete for environmental resources both above and below the ground. They assess their surroundings, estimate how much energy they need for particular goals, and then realise the optimum variant. They take measures to control certain environmental resources. They perceive themselves and can distinguish between ‘self’ and ‘non-self’. They process and evaluate information and then modify their behaviour accordingly. [1]Biocommunication of Plants, http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783642235238 http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783642235238 [2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(physiology) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(physiology... A more valid argument is that the sound or sight of killing an animal is more off-putting than killing a plant, which is of course a purely subjective sentiment, hence the deeming of "right vs wrong" which is itself a purely subjective sentiment.

kpil 10y ago
Neuron count is fine for me. Lobsters an wasps are having about the same neuron count, slightly more than mosquitos.
Falling3 10y ago
Plants don't feel their environment. They react to stimuli as all life does. Sentience is defined as the capacity to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively. Since we have very little understanding of how consciousness works and how to test discern whether an entity is conscious or not, I realize this is a sticking point for a lot of people. But I think you'll agree that there's a very real difference between killing a plant and killing a member of your family. And that distinction applies to many animals as well.