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naraburns  nihil supernum  2yr ago (text post)   Edited 2yr ago   35124 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of November 14, 2022

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"We're going to kill them and eat them anyway, there's very little point to considering their feelings on the matter."

I would not consider their feelings at all, on the grounds that a pig, chicken or cow does not have any experience on the same level as human emotions or sensibilities. I don't care how a pig 'feels' about being slaughtered, on the grounds that while a pig shares the same instinct of all living creatures to survive and avoid death, it does not experience any understanding of death as such as a distinct state or philosophical concept to be anticipated, dreaded, and avoided.

I would consider their bodily sensation of pain and suffering, since if it can be avoided, then there is no reason to inflict unnecessary pain and suffering.

Hmmm.

Would you say the same for dogs?

Absolutely. I might not eat dog meat, but then again I've never had the opportunity to try it. Some cultures do have it as part of their cuisine. I'm not sentimental about pets. I don't think we should abuse animals, but they are not humans, proto-humans, substitute humans, or near human level. They may have rights, but nothing near the same rights as humans.

One thing I find hard to reason about with dogs in particular is that they've got an extensive history of co-evolution with humans, and have very clearly optimized towards being loyal, helpful companions to humans, and NOT optimized towards becoming a food source.

So on the one hand, it is not as practical to raise dogs for slaughtering.

and on the other, it really feels like a serious defection to turn a species that has centuries of loyal service into a food source absent some serious outside impetus.

But I can't find any serious ethical grounds to intervene in cultures where it is common to eat them other than "c'mon man that's horrible."

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