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People so often jump to claims of anthropomorphism when discussing the faculties of other animals, and it’s so weird. This happens constantly when trying to get
by sweetheart 5y ago
People so often jump to claims of anthropomorphism when discussing the faculties of other animals, and it’s so weird. This happens constantly when trying to get people to understand that animals suffer very, very deeply. Claims that suffering is somehow reserved for only homo sapiens seem to be founded in nothing other than the discomfort of needing to take other living things into consideration. This is true not only of suffering but really any sort of feeling.
We will look back on our current understanding of animals feelings one day like we look back on Descarte, who vivisected dogs because he was convinced they had no feeling whatsoever.
For a good overview of the history of, and philosophy of, discussing animals capacity to feel I suggest “A Plea for Animals” as continued reading.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- arpa 5y agoThis whole physical existence is suffering without end. It is literally the core of any being. Buddhism has a core imperative to either lessen the suffering (by not inflicting more of it), or to eradicate it altogether by means of final death in nirvana (escape from samsara). However, as any novice of buddhism knows, dogs simultaneously both possess buddha-nature and are unaware of it. In that sense, is actually knowing that to be is to suffer better or worse? And as far as the fetish for anthropocentrism is concerned, it is a western religious thing deeply rooted in psychopatic (as opposed to empathic) abrahamic tradition, which proved to be a superior memeplex here. (yeah it touches a nerve, doesn't it)
- sweetheart 5y agoI don’t know what any of that has to do with what I said, but if it boils down to “I agree, animals are sensitive and should be taken into consideration”, then I agree.
- arpa 5y agoit's complicated, but yes.
- mdp2021 5y agoJustify that «abrahamic tradition» is «psychopatic» as opposed to another «empathic» tradition.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]