this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2024
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If you like: pretending that killing an animal is morally equivalent to killing a human
You should try: growing a brain
When did I say that? My statement points out that rituals to make yourself feel better about killing an animal do not change that animal's experience of being killed or the moral weight of that action
You said they were morally equivalent when you called it murder, and you said it again just now. Why does killing an animal for food carry any moral weight? Cheetahs don't get any flak for hunting caribou.
I didn't, actually
I didn't, actually
Because humans aren't special unique beings with souls that make us the only ones with moral worth. Many animals are capable of suffering and emotion.
We are the ones with the social system allowing for moral frameworks to guide our decisionmaking. Cheetahs aren't moral agents. And if they are, they follow cheetah morality. Plus, they are obligate carnivores anyway (which is why your cat should not be deprived of meat)
Yes you did, that's what the word "murder" means
All right then. Do you believe that owning a cat is immoral, since in order for the cat to thrive, creatures with souls must die?
There are no creatures with souls. But no, I wouldn't say keeping a cat in general is immoral. There are definitely ethical concerns around things like kitten breeding mills and letting cats roam around outdoors, though
So if cats are allowed to eat meat, why aren't we?
please act in good faith or let me know that you're not interested in doing so
Why is me killing a chicken to feed to my cat morally acceptable, but me killing a chicken to feed to myself is not? In both cases the one with the moral code is doing the killing.
Do you believe that if there were a race of intelligent aliens who were obligate carnivores, they should be allowed to slaughter humans for food? It sounds like you think the answer is yes. I would agree, provided the humans were treated humanely.
If you've taken in a cat you have committed yourself to its care. It's not a matter of the moral agent being a killer as the combination of being a moral agent and not an obligate carnivore. You can choose not to consume animals because you don't need to. If you choose for your cat to not consume animals, you are killing the cat. But this is not a huge factor in the real world when it comes to the meat industry. Cat food is not nearly its main driver.
As for your alien hypothetical: Whether they should be "allowed" is kind of an unclear question. Who is allowing or disallowing this action? I think humans would be justified in fighting back to prevent our own demise. I think it would be ethical on the part of the aliens to strive towards a solution for their diet that doesn't involve killing or harming sentient beings
So it's just a matter of degree? Meat could be a delicacy for humans as long as we weren't overconsuming?
If they're obligate carnivores, what could they eat instead, if killing any living creature for food is morally equivalent?