Words are not without meaning, they shouldn't mean just anything you want.
Main Entry: al·tru·ism
Pronunciation: 'al-tru-"i-z&m
Etymology: French altruisme, from autrui other people, from Old French,
oblique case form of autre other, from Latin alter
Date: 1853
1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others
2 : behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to
itself but that benefits others of its species
- al·tru·ist /-tru-ist/ noun
- al·tru·is·tic /"al-tru-'is-tik/ adjective
- al·tru·is·ti·cal·ly /-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb
Being "nice" or "kind" is *not* altruistic. If we follow the gaia logic
(sic) that the Earth is sentient (and now Mars for gods sake) then it
follows that we are a part of Earth's sentience and therefore it's in our
self interest to be nice to Earth and isn't Altruism.
What this discussion seems to be saying is that *everything* imaginable
deserves the same ethical consideration. That, however is vacuous..
Main Entry: vac·u·ous
Pronunciation: 'va-ky&-w&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin vacuus
Date: 1655
1 : emptied of or lacking content
2 : marked by lack of ideas or intelligence : STUPID, INANE <a vacuous mind>
<a vacuous expression>
3 : devoid of serious occupation : IDLE
synonym see EMPTY
- vac·u·ous·ly adverb
- vac·u·ous·ness noun
because it is more or less the same as saying nothing is worthy of ethical
regard. If that is the case, what is the point? Ethics
Main Entry: eth·ic
Pronunciation: 'e-thik
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ethik, from Middle French ethique, from Latin
ethice, from Greek EthikE, from Ethikos
Date: 14th century
1 plural but singular or plural in construction : the discipline dealing
with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation
2 a : a set of moral principles or values b : a theory or system of moral
values <the present-day materialistic ethic> c plural but singular or plural
in construction : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a
group <professional ethics> d : a guiding philosophy
is suppose to help us make choices between competing actions. To tell us
"right" from "wrong" not to say "everything is the same."
I'll probably regret getting back into this, but today is my final exam for
the term and I'll probably have the time.
Steven J. Bissell
http://www.du.edu/~sbissell
http://www.responsivemanagement.com
Our human ecology is that of a rare species of mammal
in a social, omnivorous niche. Our demography is one of
a slow-breeding, large, intelligent primate.
To shatter our population structure, to become abundant
in the way of rodents, not only destroys our ecological
relations with the rest of nature, it sets the stage
for our mass insanity.
Paul Shepard
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