Should we care about the life of an ant?

[divine sapience]

i think that it is your intent that matters.

 

[Enmos]

Since you don't seem to understand the response, here's the short answer: no, it would not be a moral lesson. I don't want her to fart loudly in public and yell "hey, I cut the cheese!" but it isn't immoral to do so. It's a lesson in character and proper behavior.

It can be debated whether that is a moral lesson or not, I think it is. It's disturbing how you compare killing animals for the fun of it with farting in public though.

 

[Enmos]

Do you believe then that you have a moral obligation to help your fellow humans that extends beyond "leaving them alone." Do you believe people should be allowed to starve if they can't fend for themselves?

Wow... 360 eh ?
I never said you can't help animals.. I only said that IT IS WRONG TO PURPOSELY HURT OR KILL ANIMALS FOR THE FUN OF IT
Get that through your thick skull please ! :bugeye:

 

[Enmos]

i think that it is your intent that matters.

Exactly

 

[maxg]

It can be debated whether that is a moral lesson or not, I think it is. It's disturbing how you compare killing animals for the fun of it with farting in public though.

It is a comparison in kind not in magnitude.

Wow... 360 eh ?
I never said you can't help animals.. I only said that IT IS WRONG TO PURPOSELY HURT OR KILL ANIMALS FOR THE FUN OF IT
Get that through your thick skull please ! :bugeye:

I am quite aware of what you have said and the end results of the moral logic you've applied. You care more about other species than your own (i.e., you would prefer to see human beings die to save another species). You remind me of the Earth First people who say AIDs is a great thing for Earth since it got rid of so many human beings.

Perhaps if you loathe humanity so much you should take the obvious recourse.

BTW, I am not someone who hunts, stomps on ants, runs over bunnies, etc. but I ca not see the point of developing a moral system that is not based on reciprocity and not on some "divinely" sanctioned moral code. And whether you want to admit it or not your claim that we ahve a moral obligation to life in general because "nature" created it , is no different than claiming you're responsible to nature because "God" created it.

I think this topic has been flogged to death, so feel free to have the last word.

 

[Enmos]

It is a comparison in kind not in magnitude.

Ok, fair.

I am quite aware of what you have said and the end results of the moral logic you've applied. You care more about other species than your own (i.e., you would prefer to see human beings die to save another species). You remind me of the Earth First people who say AIDs is a great thing for Earth since it got rid of so many human beings.

Perhaps if you loathe humanity so much you should take the obvious recourse.

I'm sorry !? Where did you get that ?
I doubt you know what I mean. All I have been saying is that it's wrong to hurt or kill an animal for the fun of it. I really don't get how anyone can disagree with this.. :shrug:

BTW, I am not someone who hunts, stomps on ants, runs over bunnies, etc. but I ca not see the point of developing a moral system that is not based on reciprocity and not on some "divinely" sanctioned moral code. And whether you want to admit it or not your claim that we ahve a moral obligation to life in general because "nature" created it , is no different than claiming you're responsible to nature because "God" created it.

Developing a moral system ? Reciprocity ? "Divinely" sanctioned moral code ?
I can repeat myself again but it gets tiresome.. I did not ever mean anything other then what I have said.
I don't know what you mean by that last comparison but I don't really care.

 

[Thrix]

Wow nice personality you must have :bugeye:

Someone asked me if I think humans should be crushed as ants can. I'll be perfectly honest. If humans were the size of ants and I were still big, I'd probably crush people as though I would ants. I don't believe in religion and I don't believe in a morality. I believe in power, dominance, and pleasure. If there were no consequences to my actions, and I don't believe there would be, I would do whatever I want. Seeing insignificantly tiny humans running around my feet would feel pretty empowering, and it would be an intoxicating power trip to slowly step on them for fun. One man's feet being the apocalypse to an entire civilization is cool and ego-tripping.

What moral obligation should hold me back from doing as I please?

 

[Enmos]

Someone asked me if I think humans should be crushed as ants can. I'll be perfectly honest. If humans were the size of ants and I were still big, I'd probably crush people as though I would ants. I don't believe in religion and I don't believe in a morality. I believe in power, dominance, and pleasure. If there were no consequences to my actions, and I don't believe there would be, I would do whatever I want. Seeing insignificantly tiny humans running around my feet would feel pretty empowering, and it would be an intoxicating power trip to slowly step on them for fun. One man's feet being the apocalypse to an entire civilization is cool and ego-tripping.

What moral obligation should hold me back from doing as I please?

You mean like Hitler did ?

 

[shichimenshyo]

Someone asked me if I think humans should be crushed as ants can. I'll be perfectly honest. If humans were the size of ants and I were still big, I'd probably crush people as though I would ants. I don't believe in religion and I don't believe in a morality. I believe in power, dominance, and pleasure. If there were no consequences to my actions, and I don't believe there would be, I would do whatever I want. Seeing insignificantly tiny humans running around my feet would feel pretty empowering, and it would be an intoxicating power trip to slowly step on them for fun. One man's feet being the apocalypse to an entire civilization is cool and ego-tripping.

What moral obligation should hold me back from doing as I please?

Wow, I hope that you never hold any political office.

 

[Thrix]

Don't worry about it. I'm just someone who believes humans should be all that they can be. I think it is the right of the strong to dominate the weak -- after all, that's the natural order of things. That's how things work in nature. Humans are that way too. This human society we have built is just a veneer upon that nature and it's never going away. I don't see any reason to make it go away either. Nature dictates that the stronger beings will and should exercise power over the weak for their personal empowerment. In reality, I am a tall, slim, athletic 25-year old guy. I make fun of fat people and short people. I'm exercising my superiority over them. I believe I am within my rights in doing so. That is my logic. I'm also something of a Hegelian in that I believe everyone deep down inside wishes to see themselves as God.

And following that logic if every human were the size of ants compared to me, it would be my self-determined right of strength and power to squash people beneath my feet for gratification if I wanted. Which I would. I would also do a lot of other cruel things with my size to fuel my ego and assert my power. Being God among ants is one thing, but being a God among other intelligent life is more gratifying than anything else.

Anyway, that'll never happen, so don't worry. But maybe now you'll see why a lot of people have no compunction against stepping on ants -- because we're bigger, we can, and we don't care. I think what I have said here is the same logic that the OP "Why" has too.

 

[Thrix]

By the way, to the person who said aliens are much more advanced than us: probably just technologically, but if aliens existed they would share the same arrogance and self-importance that exists in all life. If a race of 2,000 foot tall aliens came to this planet to scope it out, they would probably arbitrarily crush our cities beneath their feet as we do anthills. They would assume that their massive size makes them superior to us insignificant, pathetic beings and just squash us for fun.

That's how the world works. I can't blame them. If I were to likewise come across a world where I'm 2,000 feet tall compared to its inhabitants, I would step on them for fun too, aware that I would be casually ending lives en masse for my personal amusement. My superior size over them would justify my exertion of power. That's the nature of life.

 

[Enmos]

Don't worry about it. I'm just someone who believes humans should be all that they can be. I think it is the right of the strong to dominate the weak -- after all, that's the natural order of things. That's how things work in nature. Humans are that way too. This human society we have built is just a veneer upon that nature and it's never going away. I don't see any reason to make it go away either. Nature dictates that the stronger beings will and should exercise power over the weak for their personal empowerment. In reality, I am a tall, slim, athletic 25-year old guy. I make fun of fat people and short people. I'm exercising my superiority over them. I believe I am within my rights in doing so. That is my logic. I'm also something of a Hegelian in that I believe everyone deep down inside wishes to see themselves as God.

And following that logic if every human were the size of ants compared to me, it would be my self-determined right of strength and power to squash people beneath my feet for gratification if I wanted. Which I would. I would also do a lot of other cruel things with my size to fuel my ego and assert my power. Being God among ants is one thing, but being a God among other intelligent life is more gratifying than anything else.

Anyway, that'll never happen, so don't worry. But maybe now you'll see why a lot of people have no compunction against stepping on ants -- because we're bigger, we can, and we don't care. I think what I have said here is the same logic that the OP "Why" has too.

I know why some people like to step on ants, and they are dumb idiots for it.
But you really take the cake here..

 

[Enmos]

By the way, to the person who said aliens are much more advanced than us: probably just technologically, but if aliens existed they would share the same arrogance and self-importance that exists in all life. If a race of 2,000 foot tall aliens came to this planet to scope it out, they would probably arbitrarily crush our cities beneath their feet as we do anthills. They would assume that their massive size makes them superior to us insignificant, pathetic beings and just squash us for fun.

That's how the world works. I can't blame them. If I were to likewise come across a world where I'm 2,000 feet tall compared to its inhabitants, I would step on them for fun too, aware that I would be casually ending lives en masse for my personal amusement. My superior size over them would justify my exertion of power. That's the nature of life.

You are pathetic..