4 ms·
>> Is it really "exploitation" in the human sense of taking advantage of someone else? Yes. Obviously. And whether or not the exploitation is "programmed" is
by invisiblerobot 7y ago
>> Is it really "exploitation" in the human sense of taking advantage of someone else?
Yes. Obviously. And whether or not the exploitation is "programmed" is irrelevant. After all everything is programmed.
- notRobot 7y agoBut. If we're observing as humans and it appears to us that the one creature is taking advantage of another, surely that's just our interpretation from a very limited understanding of their world? I have no idea where I'm going with this, but that phrasing still seems off to me.
- wutbrodo 7y agoI don't think I understand your objection. You can model a lot of human and animal preferences fairly simply, based on axiomatic preferences like "wanting to survive and propagate your genes". Unwitting parental investment in a gene pool you don't share runs counter to this fairly basic and well-founded definition of utility, and it's under this premise that words like "exploit" are used. Just upthread, "rape" is used in the animal context too. You could similarly apply your argument to that behavior, claiming that the term has moral baggage that's uniquely human, but I think it'd be just as wrong-headed.
- foota 7y agoOT, but your usernames have a neat synchronicity.
- jmhnilbog 7y agoHuman behavior is no more complicated than that of anything else living. We just have more complicated ways to justify our actions.
- glaslong 7y agoAnd similar means to justify our distaste for some actions, as evidenced in this thread.