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> But I think it's ridiculous to have an equivalent level of empathy for people and animals. "An equivalent level of empathy"? Do you really think that a perso
by chc 14y ago
> But I think it's ridiculous to have an equivalent level of empathy for people and animals.
"An equivalent level of empathy"? Do you really think that a person whose empathy for human beings stops at "I shouldn't kill and eat them" would be considered highly ethical? You might not agree with vegetarians' ideology, but I don't think they are exactly setting a very high bar.
- jlgreco 14y agoIf we are accepting that animals and humans are generally treated differently (i.e., without equivalent levels of empathy), why should it be surprising that for some people that difference works out such that eating animals is okay?
- raphman 14y agoWe are treating humans differently, too. I love my children more than someone I meet on the streets. Generally, our society considers it still ethically ok to have different amounts of empathy for different people and treat them differently. However, there are some things that are absolutely not ok for humans to do: kill someone, eat them, etc. To me, treating animals differently than humans in general does not logically imply that killing them is ok.
- jlgreco 14y ago> We are treating humans differently, too. Absolutely. Anyone who suggests that vegetarians treat animals an humans the same is just being inflammatory. That clearly is not the case. > To me, treating animals differently than humans in general does not logically imply that killing them is ok. Of course, you are absolutely correct. Similarly, having empathy for animals / treating animals ethically does not logically imply that killing them is not okay. For some people it means exactly that, and for others it does not.