Do you value human life above other life?

Do you value human life above other life?

  • Total voters
    13
A

ashura

the Old Right
Registered Senior Member
For Enmos' sake. And of course, avoid specifics. I'm not asking if you'd save Hitler over a chihuahua. In general, do you value human life over the life of other species?
 
It would depend on how each of these lives related to me. If I had to choose between killing my dog and so guy I'd never met. I think I would choose my dog, he's like family to me, even though he isn't human.
 
I do value human life above others and for this reason, I believe humans have an obligation to every other life form on Earth. As the intelligent being, as the being with the most ability, we have a duty to see to the welfare of every other creature on Earth. So the privilage is also bound with an obligation.

It is in many ways like a sibling relationship.
 
If I saw a person wilfully torture an animal, I would wish them dead; if they were doing it to my dog, I could kill them myself with no remorse.
 
... I had meatloaf this evening and it was good
Does that count as a answer?

needles to say we give greater value to the things closes to us. For example we would be more obset if our boiler broke down then when some town in the tanzania got whiped out by a mudslide.
 
ashura said:
....In general, do you value human life over the life of other species?
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absolutely. If my kids are starving, I will kill every last panda on the planet to feed them.
It makes my eye twitch to see kids starving while Paris Hilton's dog has a $10,000 diamond collar.
Its why my family donates to Heifer Intl and not a save the environment/whales/panda/etc organization.
 
Human life is the only valuable life because Humans are the only self-aware creatures.

Without self awareness, you cannot have self value. We Humans value ourselves. Other creatures, in that they are not self aware, do not value themselves.
 
orcot said:
... I had meatloaf this evening and it was good
Does that count as a answer?

needles to say we give greater value to the things closes to us. For example we would be more obset if our boiler broke down then when some town in the tanzania got whiped out by a mudslide.
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Yeah I think it has a lot more to do with how close you are to things. Although I donate to any organization that has a notable cause and asks me for a donation, I can't really honestly say that I care more about the people starving all over the world than I care about saving the Manatees. As far as I'm concerned they are equal endeavors that I spent a dollar on or volunteered my time to if I don't have any money to give (which is more often than I would like). I'm so poor. :(
 
valuing a life is called self preservation. Every animal has that, but humans have it to a lesser extent. We die to save our young. Animals save themselves. They may try to protect their young, but they will save themselves first.
 
Orleander said:
valuing a life is called self preservation. Every animal has that, but humans have it to a lesser extent. We die to save our young. Animals save themselves.
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Animals do it only because it's instinctive, i.e, survival is the top goal. Humans can give value to things, whether it be emotional value, moral value, artistic value, etc, we are more abstract. And we also give ourselves value. We are aware of ourselves as individuals.
 
Norsefire said:
Human life is the only valuable life because Humans are the only self-aware creatures.

Without self awareness, you cannot have self value. We Humans value ourselves. Other creatures, in that they are not self aware, do not value themselves.
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How do you know that?
 
CutsieMarie89 said:
How do you know that?
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Scientific studies have been done. Animals, for instance, when looking in a mirror are not aware that they are looking at themselves. There are ways of measuring self awareness. Animals are more like computers, in that they operate without knowing they operate, than Human beings.
 
Orleander said:
valuing a life is called self preservation. Every animal has that, but humans have it to a lesser extent. We die to save our young. Animals save themselves. They may try to protect their young, but they will save themselves first.
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I disagree. Many animals like some humans put their life on the line everyday to protect things that are important to them. Didn't you watch Bambi?:D But more realistically haven't you ever heard of dogs dying protecting their owners or a mother fighting a losing battle against a predator just to keep them from her young.
 
Orleander said:
valuing a life is called self preservation. Every animal has that, but humans have it to a lesser extent. We die to save our young. Animals save themselves. They may try to protect their young, but they will save themselves first.
Click to expand...

You've never seen a chicken fight for her chicks or a cat for her kittens, have you?
 
That's instinct. You've never seen the newly borns eat their mother for food after they hatch have you?

In other words, what I mean to say is, Animals operate only on instinct; Humans operate on far higher and superior levels.
 
Norsefire said:
Scientific studies have been done. Animals, for instance, when looking in a mirror are not aware that they are looking at themselves. There are ways of measuring self awareness. Animals are more like computers, in that they operate without knowing they operate, than Human beings.
Click to expand...

Neither do babies. They also think that if you cover something up it disappears, thats why they get confused when you play peek a boo and then are relieved when they see you again. They learn that the baby in the mirror is them. Just like your puppy might bark at the puppy in the mirror, but I think most learn that the thing in the mirror is them. At least my dog used to bark at the puppy in the mirror, but now he knows its just his reflection it doesn't phase him at all.
 
CutsieMarie89 said:
Neither do babies. They also think that if you cover something up it disappears, thats why they get confused when you play peek a boo and then are relieved when they see you again. They learn that the baby in the mirror is them. Just like your puppy might bark at the puppy in the mirror, but I think most learn that the thing in the mirror is them. At least my dog used to bark at the puppy in the mirror, but now he knows its just his reflection it doesn't phase him at all.
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Babies mature and grow more complex. Most animals, at their peak intelligence, are less intelligent than said babies.
 
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