Subject:
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Re: Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Fri, 26 May 2000 16:41:07 GMT
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Viewed:
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1158 times
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I'm rearranging here and there, not to mislead, but to address things in the
order that I chose...
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, James Simpson writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler writes:
> James, The Politically-Incorrect Human-Centric Villain Who Just Zipped and
> Fastened His Flame-Retardent Suit.
If you expect to be flamed by me, guess again. First, you are expressing
eloquently a very normal belief. It's wrong (at least for me), but I'm used to
it. It beats the hell out of taking offense at my lifestyle choices and saying
"ugh, me better, me kill, me eat!" And second, I haven't been flamed for
advocating cannibalism, bestiality, etc, so who would I be to flame for your
perverse expression ;-)
> > then you would see no difference between
> > eating people and eating "animals." Thus any meat consumption would be
> > equivalent to eating human flesh.
>
> [and I agreed]
>
> I think that there is a real inherent difference between eating human flesh • and
> eating other animal flesh, because there is a difference between being Fully
> Animal, and Merely Animal.
Why does this difference (which I agree exists) have anything to do with being
murdered?
> To explain:
>
> [explanation snipped] We are Fully Mammal, and indeed Fully Animal.
> we undeniably possess levels of intelligence,
Intelligence is a big tough issue, but I agree that our aggregate intelligence
is superior to that of any other animal that I know well.
> awareness,
Levels of awareness means what? If it's just a reitteration of intelligence,
OK. If you are talking about perception, many animals perceive things that we
don't, in ways that we don't.
> emotion
This is unclear. I'm not willing to agree to this. For instance, I have
observed clearly, expression of all the human emotions that I can think of, in
cats. If you want to quantify the intensity of it, I think that's impossible
to know. We certainly have cognitive abilities that help us to work with our
emotions in ways that other animals do not.
> ...and transcendental qualities that no other
What's that mean?
> animals on Earth are capable of. Humans are indeed Fully Animal, but not • Merely
> Animal. I think that this is a powerful argument as to why humans possess the
> greatest inherent value of any species on Earth - which is not to say that
Value is not objective. That's not how the concept of value even works.
Things are valuable to intelligences. I tend to value humans more than other
animals because they can do more for me. OTOH, I value my pets more than I
value most strangers. I disagree with the very concept of inherent value.
> other living thing does not possess inherent "rights" that must be respected • to
> some degree - but that in the moral equation, when competing values must be
> weighed in matters of survival, humans deserve greater consideration.
When survival is on the line, all bets are off. Whoever's survival is at risk
needs to look our for themselves. Tigers eat humans, humans eat deer, whatever
it takes is what it takes.
So, as I mentioned in an other note, if you base this value on intellectual
capability, in a variety of forms, and that's your explanation for who can eat
whom, how do you feel about Mensa members picking through the alzheimer ward
for scooby snacks?
Chris
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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| (...) I certainly didn't mean to suggest that I expected an imminent flame from you...I was merely acknowledging that some people following this thread will no doubt vehemently disagree with me. (...) I'm not sure that I follow your question...do (...) (24 years ago, 26-May-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Why is AIDS such a big deal?
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| (...) I think that there is a real inherent difference between eating human flesh and eating other animal flesh, because there is a difference between being Fully Animal, and Merely Animal. To explain: The fact that humans possess all of the basic (...) (24 years ago, 26-May-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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