Do I detect a bit of anthropomorphism here. Do you really want me to
believe that sharks actually consider what their set of morals is?
Steve
--- Adam Gottschalk <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> on 10/13/00 13:18, David Pearson at [log in to unmask]
> wrote:
>
> > As for the shark - when it comes to what sharks do, I think ethics is
> > simply irrelevant. They can't think or know about right or wrong (I
> > assume!), so they can't *do* right or wrong.
>
>
> Critical words: "I assume!" Quite to the contrary there is a great deal
> of
> evidence that animals lead moral lives; now when I say this, I do not
> mean
> they live by the moral code of the Bible Belt. I mean they _do_
> distinguish
> between right and wrong. For a carnivorous animal (dogs, cats, etc.),
> the
> set of morals they consider are quite different from the ones we
> consider.
> Monogamy seems to be the best lifestyle for the human species for many
> various practical, emotional, and other reasons; therefore adultery has
> serious moral import. Multiple partners doesn't carry the same moral
> import
> as for other species, for a different set of practical and emotional
> reasons.
>
> I have often heard folks say things like, "Well, it is our duty, being
> the
> only species that has self-awareness..." This is right up there with
> "(animals/sharks) can't think or know about right and wrong..." I would
> be
> supremely amazed if you could show me a shred of evidence to this
> affect.
>
> Adam
>
=====
"In a nutshell, he [Steve] is 100% unadulterated evil. I do not believe in a 'Satan', but this man is as close to 'the real McCoy' as they come."
--Jamey Lee West
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