[lbo-talk] good morning my fellow ecosystems

Bill Bartlett billbartlett at aapt.net.au
Thu Apr 16 10:52:45 PDT 2009


At 1:07 PM -0700 15/4/09, Chris Doss wrote:


>Try "brain, consciousness, and ability to suffer." Unless your
>criterion for valuing human life is based on something else, such as
>an immortal soul that you don't believe in, or resembling you, which
>is a bit arbitrary.

My "criteria" (I assume you mean basis) for valuing human life is that I am human life and I value my life. So as other people will tend to also value human life and incidentally they will value my life, I selfishly espouse that as a moral principle. I'm quite certain that this is the material basis of this moral principle and that all moral principles have a material basis.

Whereas I don't contemplate ever becoming a fish or a fowl. If you are one of those who tended to believe you might reincarnate as a fish or fowl, then perhaps you might be inclined to expand the moral protection of other forms of life. I can see where they are coming from, but I think its a a bit far-fetched.

Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas



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