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I might add a devil's advocate position, albeit colored by my own experiences. We're predators. We consume other animals. The fact we have found other ways to
by jalapenos 4y ago
I might add a devil's advocate position, albeit colored by my own experiences.
We're predators. We consume other animals. The fact we have found other ways to consume them doesn't make for a moral conundrum.
Indeed, true to the empathic nature of a social species, we even go out of our way to minimize the suffering of our prey.
Do you think the bear does that, as it eats its pray alive? Or the animals that swallow whole & alive, and kill during digestion only? Or parasitic wasps?
You can be as self indulgent and narcissistic as you want, but if you see a loved one painfully dying of a disease that 10 years of no-holds-barred (FDA-unencumbered) medical research could have have prevented, we'll see how quickly your narcissist "think of the animals" self-indulgence will be replaced by "why are authorities letting this happen" self-indulgence.
Virtue comes from doing what is painful but must be done, not indulging in your high horse like a child who's yet to understand the world.
- ornornor 4y agoThat’s a very binary argument. Because we have no alternative for research, and because other animals are cruel with each other, then it absolves us of compassion? By the same token, there are vicious criminals that are unable to control their base instincts so we should all be viciously killing others whenever we feel justified? That’s how psychopaths and wild animals do it after all. We don’t have to kill animals and make them suffer like we do currently to raise and eat them. We have the knowledge and technology to thrive on a plant based diet. Research is a very different thing unfortunately. I very much hope we’ll develop theoretical and computer models to avoid the need for research on animals altogether because this is such a cruel and inhumane thing. But right now, there is no alternative unlike any other situation where we use animals historically (clothing, food).
- jalapenos 4y agoI probably basically agree. Where technology has already replaced the need for consuming an animal, lets use it. Indeed, we already do (pelts aren't much of a thing anymore). But if not, don't sacrifice people over animals.
- ornornor 4y agoI think we’re saying the same thing. Diet is where we can absolutely and totally avoid eating animal and animal derived products (at least in developed countries where it’s readily available). It’s healthy and viable, no human is sacrificed for this to happen.
- 2636381321 4y agoAnimals get torn to pieces alive by predators on a routine basis in the wild. Many die before they even get the chance to reach maturity. I'm particularly upset that we are imprisoning people because they fed Cannabis to their hamster, when the normal routine life for animals is so barbaric anyway. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-38906351 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-38906351 This is where the true outrage should be pointed at. And those who want to abuse animals can do so legally, by live feeding it to their snake or lizard. It just makes my blood boil in anger.