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Why do some people value animal life over human life.
- Thread starter fuzzyreactor
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Princess Carl
Member
CryptiK said:
news flash, it probably doesn't give a shit who you are; only that you feed it.
Can anyone actually give a rational justification as to why human life is more valuable than animal life? I've yet to hear a good one; however, I've heard several compelling arguments as to why human life is less valuable than animal life. I think a lot of you seriously need to question your own values.
Princess Carl
Member
Alucrid said:
honestly, if i took his dog and gave it a house and food and a nice environment; i promise you that it will forget who he was. Its sad but thats because they are not human, they are animals.
Dabookerman
Member
The reason why people think less of humans is due to the fact that many humans lack empathy and care for other living things. They see themselves as superior and thus become arrogant, and think less of every thing else.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
winter said:
Human life is more valuable because we have the ability to posit whether or not our lives are more valuable.
Kyuuketsu_Night
Member
Shoot, I'd save my cat before I save someone like Dick Cheney 
but this thread is just :lol who are we pointing fingers at exactly? PETA nuts?
but this thread is just :lol who are we pointing fingers at exactly? PETA nuts?
DieNgamers
Member
It depends on the human. :O Also my animal friend is more important to me than random strangers. I don't have an animal friend right now, though. :/
Aside from all of the obvious things like conciousness, self-awareness, civilization, etc. a lot more goes into a human life than that of another animal.winter said:
All of this is moot anyways, though. Human lives are more valuable/important to humans, and there's nothing wrong with that. I wouldn't care if cats valued cats' lives more than other species either. The fact that it's humans asking and answering this is enough to satisfy the question.
TheMissingLink
Member
You're thinking is exactly what some big companies/foolish organizations want you to believe.
They want you to believe that people that believe in animal rights, like myself, and members of PETA believe this. In reality? It's just spin. Rather than discuss a particular issue (like product testing on thousands of rats, as an example) these organizations spin it around to this argument that you're posing: that whoever argues against testing of animals must OBVIOUSLY care more about animal life.
I would assume there is a tiny, very very very tiny percentage of animal rights activists who may believe this. But the VAST MAJORITY don't. You're just following what greedy corporations want you to believe.
They want you to believe that people that believe in animal rights, like myself, and members of PETA believe this. In reality? It's just spin. Rather than discuss a particular issue (like product testing on thousands of rats, as an example) these organizations spin it around to this argument that you're posing: that whoever argues against testing of animals must OBVIOUSLY care more about animal life.
I would assume there is a tiny, very very very tiny percentage of animal rights activists who may believe this. But the VAST MAJORITY don't. You're just following what greedy corporations want you to believe.
I'm not going to get into human life vs animal life and which or who is more valuable, but only touch on the title of this thread. Why do people value animal life?
I'll use my own mother as an example. My father, her husband of 40 years was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2007. The last gift my father ever gave my mother was a puppy West Highland Terrier. The dog has had a few medical problems and my mother has spent thousands of dollars to ensure the dog is as healthy as it can be because she wants to preserve the last thing she has from my father. Whether she would do this for a family member is irrelevant because I'm sure she would if that were to come to be, but this may go a little way into addressing why some people can put a lot of stock into the life of an animal. Not only is it the remembrance of my father, but she lives alone in their house and Macy, the dog, is her only companion up there... that's her immediate family when no one is over visiting. She loves that dog and values its life possibly more than her own. Which is what my interpretation of the thread title makes me think of.
I'll use my own mother as an example. My father, her husband of 40 years was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2007. The last gift my father ever gave my mother was a puppy West Highland Terrier. The dog has had a few medical problems and my mother has spent thousands of dollars to ensure the dog is as healthy as it can be because she wants to preserve the last thing she has from my father. Whether she would do this for a family member is irrelevant because I'm sure she would if that were to come to be, but this may go a little way into addressing why some people can put a lot of stock into the life of an animal. Not only is it the remembrance of my father, but she lives alone in their house and Macy, the dog, is her only companion up there... that's her immediate family when no one is over visiting. She loves that dog and values its life possibly more than her own. Which is what my interpretation of the thread title makes me think of.
fuzzyreactor
Banned
they arewinter said:
Huh? Value is subjective is it not? And you're asking why human lives are more considered more valuable to humans. There's nothing to argue here.winter said:
To a higher being (aliens), our lives may not be more valuable than other similarly developed creatures, but they may consider our lives more valuable than cows, just as we consider the lives of dogs more valuable than those of ants.
winter said:
It's going to make me look like a sociopath, but I can expect more from my dog than I can from most humans I meet on a daily basis. The first page had a condescending remark about choosing animals first until someone you're close with is involved, which is absolutely correct but is also very black and white. You realize it's possible to hold your animal to a higher value than some or most people, right?
I would not choose an animal over a lot of people in my life, but with my life experience my animals have been much more loyal. Whether that is because I provide them with a nurturing, safe environment or not, I don't care. It sounds very juvenile but I've become cynical to the point where I think the vast majority of humans are intrinsically evil and a negative impact. My dog on the other hand would give his life for me. I may just be very delusional but it seems like a very simple justification to me. I can expect my dog to be a positive force in my life no matter what. I cannot expect the same from most humans. I've had some very bad experiences in my life so I can accept that I may just be very jaded and in need of some positive human contact. I've had people tell me it seems like a very depressing existence to value a relationship that is not emotionally reciprocal so highly. I'm on half a dozen medications for various disorders, so again, I can see that. It comes down to people being selfish, arrogant and destructive forces in my life and the world. I don't have a natural connection to them. I'm not a serial killer and I don't want to hurt people. I just haven't had any strong relationships in my life (I have no family) and that may have contributed to my abnormal connections.
Would I choose to save the life of my personal animal over someone I don't know? Probably. Would I choose to save the life of another animal I have no emotional connection to over a human? No.
*Raises flame shield*
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
winter said:
Well, there's not really any data to support the notion that any animal has yet developed a capacity for philosophical inquiry, so I would argue that it's a little more than an assumption.
Regardless, the reasons why such an ability is valuable are self-evident; aside from the fact that we have a natural, biological affinity toward the greater valuation of our own species, the ability in question is valuable because it is symptomatic of our higher brain functioning and capacity for intellectual accomplishment. If you think the whole of human inquiry in the arts, sciences, and everything else is less valuable than an animal's "innocence" or whatever reason you see as being cause for valuing animals over humans, then that is your own problem. Humans have proven themselves to be the most capable and worthy species on the planet; we are at the top of the food chain for a reason. That we are, effectively, the rulers of the planet and have the ability to decide (as we have) that we ought to create a new relationship to the rest of the natural world (humane treatment of animals, sustainable energy, etc.) seems to indicate that we function at a higher level, and nature is nothing else if not a meritocracy.
Because we're selfish. If I had to choose between the life of my brother and the lives of a thousand individuals in China, I'd choose my brother. His life has more impact on my life than those thousand, and thus his life is more valuable.
Similarly, my pets lives have more value to me than the lives of strangers whose existence does not affect mine.
I would not choose my pet over my brother, though.
Similarly, my pets lives have more value to me than the lives of strangers whose existence does not affect mine.
I would not choose my pet over my brother, though.
Snowman Prophet of Doom said:
First of all, you assume I value animals over humans. I don't. I believe life should be valued equally. Secondly, science and the arts have by and large benefitted humans to the detriment of over species. The argument that the fruits of mankind are greater than that of other species is rooted firmly in vanity. Thirdly, if you are going to label nature a meritocracy, then what is being deemed worthy of merit? From what you saying, one's capability for survival is the only thing worthy of merit. If you really believe that, then I assume you have no problem with the fact that it opens the doors to eugenics and infanticide.
selig said:
Your argument ignores that people get killed, tortured and worst done to them everyday, it also ignores that people is helpless to that, it ignores that the people can be both good and bad and finally you think we are expendable (except for your self-righteous self, I bet) cos theres a bunch of us.
I can understand the people saying that the dead of their dog would hurt more than some guy they dont know that just learned what a glasgow smile is; we care more about the ones close to us and thats one of the things that make us a society. Using the 6 billion argument just makes you look like an antisocial asshole.
The first group and the second one are the same.Dabookerman said:
Chopper Dave
Member
I have positive emotional attachments to some animals and people, negative emotions towards some and a feelings of indifference towards most I walk past in any given day. What's so difficult to understand? I have fair reason to care for my dog's life over that of a classmate, co-worker or some random face. We tend to value much more superficial facets of our lives over other people to some regard. Our jobs, relationships and faith are just some of the many things that an average person will place as priority over his/her fellow man.
Oh but I'm sure the "If a serial killer put a gun up to your head and forced you to choose between..." ultimatum has arisen in some form or another in this thread. If you've got enough spare gray matter to waste on such an asinine way of thinking, please hold any criticisms towards others to yourself. This useless ultimatum doesn't need to be answered. Nobody here is condemning the life of any individual for the life of an animal and it's a safe bet none of us will ever have to.
Oh but I'm sure the "If a serial killer put a gun up to your head and forced you to choose between..." ultimatum has arisen in some form or another in this thread. If you've got enough spare gray matter to waste on such an asinine way of thinking, please hold any criticisms towards others to yourself. This useless ultimatum doesn't need to be answered. Nobody here is condemning the life of any individual for the life of an animal and it's a safe bet none of us will ever have to.
Humans are animals... I don't think most people choose to be motherfuckers. If you don't think that humans have instincts and act on "nature" IDK what you are smoking. We are capable of higher thought and reason but half the population doesn't ever think. They only try and satisfy their basic needs.
A disgusting human being - lets say a pedo. I have never heard of a pedo saying "I choose to be attracted to children." It is their nature... fucked up but how can you claim that its a rational decision to do that. They have a choice to act on their feelings. Some say animals have no choice but some of the higher ones do IMHO. My cat chews on any and all cables. He knows I don't like it and when I yell at him he stops. He has a natural instinct to chew stuff, he decides to chew on my cables to piss me off. He only really does it when I am there and can see him. Fuck cats! .
Because humans are capable of reason and higher thought they will always be superior to an animal that has little to no self control. Even a terrible human that has no self control has the capacity (unless mentally disabled) to reason.
If you allow that some animals can reason though you have to accept that some are in fact superior to humans. A rescue dog for example that saves people at risk to its own life I would put ahead of a serial killer... but thats not a hard choice.
A disgusting human being - lets say a pedo. I have never heard of a pedo saying "I choose to be attracted to children." It is their nature... fucked up but how can you claim that its a rational decision to do that. They have a choice to act on their feelings. Some say animals have no choice but some of the higher ones do IMHO. My cat chews on any and all cables. He knows I don't like it and when I yell at him he stops. He has a natural instinct to chew stuff, he decides to chew on my cables to piss me off. He only really does it when I am there and can see him. Fuck cats! .
Because humans are capable of reason and higher thought they will always be superior to an animal that has little to no self control. Even a terrible human that has no self control has the capacity (unless mentally disabled) to reason.
If you allow that some animals can reason though you have to accept that some are in fact superior to humans. A rescue dog for example that saves people at risk to its own life I would put ahead of a serial killer... but thats not a hard choice.
speculawyer
Member
Hard to argue with that. :lolJinaar said:
Air Zombie Meat
Member
I definitely don't value animal life over human but I do find it more difficult to look at images\vids of animal suffering than of humans. Don't really understand why, it's always puzzled me.
bigmit3737
Member
Do humans really consider human lives to be important?
If feels like more and more these days I hear more about murder and killings.
Let's not forget the wars.
If feels like more and more these days I hear more about murder and killings.
Let's not forget the wars.
The dogmatism of the 19th and 20th century is the real problem. animal rights activists who use violence, threats etc. to 'protect' animals are the symptom of that problem.
some are trying to do the mental gymnastics of pretending we're equals to other animal life. We're frankly not. We can do much more to harm our enviroment, ourselves, and the animal and plant life that live on it.
We need a new dichotomy for the 21st century, and it's certainly not the terroristic marxist struggle of the classes advocated by those who are using terror, and intimidation against their targets.
Instead, humans need to realize that as stewards of the planet, we are in a special position of power and must protect animals to the best of our ability.
some are trying to do the mental gymnastics of pretending we're equals to other animal life. We're frankly not. We can do much more to harm our enviroment, ourselves, and the animal and plant life that live on it.
We need a new dichotomy for the 21st century, and it's certainly not the terroristic marxist struggle of the classes advocated by those who are using terror, and intimidation against their targets.
Instead, humans need to realize that as stewards of the planet, we are in a special position of power and must protect animals to the best of our ability.
bigmit3737
Member
winter said:
Thus roaches are the winner!
Especially after we nuke each other.
ZombieSupaStar
Member
who would you choose to save from dying in a fire?
Hitler or your dog?
if you said your dog, you obviously think all humans are scum and are a weird animal person.
right?
Hitler or your dog?
if you said your dog, you obviously think all humans are scum and are a weird animal person.
right?
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
This is one my pet peeves... Why exactly would you total up all humanity and condemn them all for the wrong actions of certain individuals?. They may be mentally defective versions of a human, or hold rare ideas that are doomed to failure, which is why there's a bad story in the first place.Leunam said:
Rogue Warrior is a bad game. SERIOUSLY FUCK VIDEOGAMES!! I WANT OUT!!
I value my dog's life more than my dad's.
I'm kind of the opposite to this. Every time I meet a nice stranger I go hug a tree and think about how wonderful humanity is.
BocoDragon said:This is one my pet peeves... Why exactly would you total up all humanity and condemn them all for the wrong actions of certain individuals.. Who may be mentally defective versions of a human, or hold rare ideas that are doomed to failure which is why there's a bad story in the first place.
I'm kind of the opposite to this. Every time I meet a nice stranger I go hug a tree and think about how wonderful humanity is.
SnakeswithLasers
Member
Just goes to show that you shouldn't trust your feelings.bigmit3737 said:
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