The astronomer concluded his lecture with: ?So you see that astronomically speaking, man is utterly insignificant.? Kant replied: ?Professor, you forgot the most important thing, man is the astronomer.?
Humans lie at the border between the very small and the very large. If we zoom into outer space, is it that much bigger than if we zoom inwards? The ones who point to how pitifully small we are in the universe forget that we are the ones observing it, and in the form we see it, it exists in our minds. Looking at scales alone seems childish. Why would something with more mass be more significant in the spiritual sense?
Just a thought experiment. For all we know, the objects we observe in the universe could emerge from information stored on a flat disc somewhere, and measuring Euclidean distance on the disk itself would be meaningless (think graphics card), as it would say nothing about the different objects’ perceived position. Euclidean distance could in fact be a product of how our brains process information. My point is only that you are entirely anthropocentric without even knowing it.
The universe is characterized by self-similarity. Have you ever seen a fractal set? Not matter how much you zoom in, new self similar patterns are revealed. We might say we are looking at things at a smaller scale as we zoom in, but small and big lose meaning as the conventional mathematical tools no longer apply.
The human consciousness is a great mystery, and the human brain is the most complex system known, bearing resemblance of the universe itself. Why does it make some people more comfortable to think we are insignificant?
How many 'pounds from glory" is OP’s avatar? [/quote]
Ooo good question. I’ll say 15. That might be off a bit I dunno. I’m much worse at guessing women’s weights than men’s.
That being said I’d take her as is lol. I don’t mind a little cushion.[/quote]
She isnt fat, she is aquiring mass… [/quote]
Terminal weight.[/quote]
Is that like reaching the weight in which you can not gain any more? Like Terminal Velocity?
[/quote]
Yep.[/quote]
Disagree. She has like 5 more lbs she can get away with before we have to take her shopping at Lane Bryant for nighties.
I can’t speak to intrinsic value, since I’m not objective. Humans are more valuable to me because I like them better and see them as more important. It’s the same reason that if I had to chose between saving a random stranger or a family member, I’d save the family member. It’s not that the animal or the stranger has no value, but the family member has more value to me. Similarly, humans are more valuable to me than dogs.
People are inherently tribalistic and it’s critical to our survival. We have many tribes, most of which are concentric. Those in tribes that are closer to us and more exclusive are valued more highly.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
In a heartbeat.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
In a heartbeat.[/quote]
Yeah, me as well. With my bare hands, Sooo… You do value some animals’ lives over some humans’ lives?? I can actually think of a lot of people that I would let die if it came down between saving them or my pet.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
Yes I would. But, if a person was trying to kill my pet I would feel threatened in a way. But if I was in a burning building or some kind of disaster and I could only save one. A human being or my dog, I would save the human.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
Yes I would. But, if a person was trying to kill my pet I would feel threatened in a way. But if I was in a burning building or some kind of disaster and I could only save one. A human being or my dog, I would save the human. [/quote]
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
Yes I would. But, if a person was trying to kill my pet I would feel threatened in a way. But if I was in a burning building or some kind of disaster and I could only save one. A human being or my dog, I would save the human. [/quote]
Would probably depend on the human.[/quote]
There are scenarios where I could justify saving the dog. But, as a general rule, I would save the human.
How many 'pounds from glory" is OP’s avatar? [/quote]
Ooo good question. I’ll say 15. That might be off a bit I dunno. I’m much worse at guessing women’s weights than men’s.
That being said I’d take her as is lol. I don’t mind a little cushion.[/quote]
She isnt fat, she is aquiring mass… [/quote]
Terminal weight.[/quote]
Is that like reaching the weight in which you can not gain any more? Like Terminal Velocity?
[/quote]
Yep.[/quote]
Disagree. She has like 5 more lbs she can get away with before we have to take her shopping at Lane Bryant for nighties. [/quote]
Disagree with my appropriation of the term? Because I used that simply for vector wordplay i.e. “acquiring mass”.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
Yes.[/quote]
What if it was your child or family member the animal was attacking?
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
Yes.[/quote]
What if it was your child or family member the animal was attacking? [/quote]
Wait, the pet is attacking a family member or a child? In that case I would kill the pet. I actually have done this so its not really a hypothetical.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
Yes.[/quote]
What if it was your child or family member the animal was attacking? [/quote]
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have a question that seems to have some relevance here. Would you kill someone that was attempting to steal or kill your pet?[/quote]
Yes.[/quote]
What if it was your child or family member the animal was attacking? [/quote]
That wasn’t the question…[/quote]
So only you can ask stupid questions.
