Humans Vs. Any Other Species

[Jayhawker Soule]

The scenario is highly circumstantial. Proximity to me, ability to swim (dogs are inherently better swimmers than humans), which one I have the best chance of saving, etc.

Seriously?

I would save the child because I am wired to have greater empathy for my own species, and can think of nothing in Judaism that might dissuade me. The thought that I might pause, evaluate distance, water current, wave chop, natural swimming prowess, etc., before making a decision fit for a forum thread strikes me as absurd posturing at best.

 

[LuisDantas]

In your personal opinion, are humans more important than, superior to, or better than other species on this planet or any extraterrestrial life that may exist in the universe?

Why or why not?

What does your religion or philosophy teach about this?

Humans have language, which allows us to at least attempt to make gestalts of a sort. To a degree, we did.

 

[Valjean]

In your personal opinion, are humans more important than, superior to, or better than other species on this planet or any extraterrestrial life that may exist in the universe?

Why or why not?

What does your religion or philosophy teach about this?

Important? -- to what?

My primary allegiance is to the planet; the ecosystem itself. Humans seem to be functioning as an infectious agent, outside the interdependent, coöperative web of life.
We proliferate beyond the planet's carrying capacity, destroy habitats and other species, and basically monopolize and degrade the whole ecosystem, with none of the checks and balances restraining the other players.
We're a disease.

Just 10,000 years since we exited the system, established permanent settlements, and initiated a sixth mass extinction event.
Remarkable.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Seriously?

I would save the child because I am wired to have greater empathy for my own species, and can think of nothing in Judaism that might dissuade me. The thought that I might pause, evaluate distance, water current, wave chop, natural swimming prowess, etc., before making a decision fit for a forum thread strikes me as absurd posturing at best.

Or it could just mean that not everyone shares your wiring schematic.

 

[Quintessence]

In your personal opinion, are humans more important than, superior to, or better than other species on this planet or any extraterrestrial life that may exist in the universe?

No.

Why or why not?

Because I am not anthropocentric in orientation like most humans seem to be.

What does your religion or philosophy teach about this?

Druidry (and many other types of contemporary Paganism) on the whole is also not anthropocentric.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Or it could just mean that not everyone shares your wiring schematic.

It's my understanding that those with ASPD are deficient with regards to empathy.

 

[Quintessence]

It's my understanding that those with ASPD are deficient with regards to empathy.

It makes me sad that you would regard someone whose circle of concern extends into the greater-than-human world as equivalent to someone with ASPD. I guess I'm a sociopath then.

 

[SalixIncendium]

It's my understanding that those with ASPD are deficient with regards to empathy.

Are you diagnosing me?

Is it not possible that I might just feel empathy much more generally than you do?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

It makes me sad that you would regard someone whose circle of concern extends into the greater-than-human world as equivalent to someone with ASPD. I guess I'm a sociopath then.

That's not what I said.

 

[Quintessence]

That's not what I said.

You said you were wired to have greater empathy for your own species above all others. When it was suggested others are wired differently - in other words, that others may NOT place empathy for one's own species above all other species - you responded by comparing such people to those with ASPD. I think it was pretty clear what you said.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Are you diagnosing me?

No.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

You said you were wired to have greater empathy for your own species above all others. When it was suggested others are wired differently - in other words, that others may NOT place empathy for one's own species above all other species - you responded by comparing such people to those with ASPD. I think it was pretty clear what you said.

Have a nice day ...

 

[Augustus]

In your personal opinion, are humans more important than, superior to, or better than other species on this planet or any extraterrestrial life that may exist in the universe?

Why or why not?

What does your religion or philosophy teach about this?

For 99.999% of humans, of course humans are more important.

(Almost all) Folk who say otherwise are deluding themselves.

Unless you see the person who eats a lamb chop as being as evil as the person who eats the flesh of a child you see humans as far more important.

Human society with its laws and morality is absolutely built on human exceptionalism.

We may think that objectively we are no better, or perhaps even worse, than other animals, but almost every human in history has considered us as implicitly more important.

 

[Eddi]

are humans more important than, superior to, or better than other species on this planet or any extraterrestrial life that may exist in the universe?

Not at all

But we are more able to do certain things

And our social organisation is more complex than that of any other animal

What does your religion or philosophy teach about this?

My religion and philosophy are the same as my personal beliefs

 

[Quintessence]

For 99.999% of humans, of course humans are more important.

(Almost all) Folk who say otherwise are deluding themselves.

Unless you see the person who eats a lamb chop as being as evil as the person who eats the flesh of a child you see humans as far more important.

As someone who is apparently "deluding" themselves and part of the ultra-elite 0.001% percent, that's not how it works. Satisfying vital needs doesn't mean that which you use to satisfy said needs is less important. If anything, it is more important because I would simply not exist without the sacrifices of that which I must kill to live. And the relationship between consumer and consumed is something I consider deeply sacred. If this makes me "delusional" so be it.

 

[Secret Chief]

No.
Sorry for the lengthy answer

This.

 

[SalixIncendium]

For 99.999% of humans, of course humans are more important.

(Almost all) Folk who say otherwise are deluding themselves.

Unless you see the person who eats a lamb chop as being as evil as the person who eats the flesh of a child you see humans as far more important.

Well, as one of the 800,000, I will say that I don't make the usual good/evil distinction. As I see it, things are what they are, people do what they do, and each is subject to their own karma.

 

[Altfish]

In your personal opinion, are humans more important than, superior to, or better than other species on this planet or any extraterrestrial life that may exist in the universe?

Why or why not?

What does your religion or philosophy teach about this?

No, I'm a lousy flier and not a very good swimmer. My eyesight and sense of smell are inferior to many other animals.

 

[libre]

In your personal opinion, are humans more important than, superior to, or better than other species on this planet or any extraterrestrial life that may exist in the universe?

Why or why not?

What does your religion or philosophy teach about this?

In a trolley problem between a human being that I did not know and any other animal that I did not know - I would choose the human every time.

I can't even begin to think of how I would make an argument against such.

 

[libre]

It's my understanding that those with ASPD are deficient with regards to empathy.

Deleted a response, as I mixed up acronyms and responded to an argument that you were not making.
That said, I can't see any other way to interpret this than the ways the above posters did.