Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

..is that the human species is worth significantly more than other species. In fact, it can even be argued that humans are worth LESS than other animals, DUCY? But let's talk about the first thing first. Here are some arguments that I've heard/seen here that people use to delude themselves into believing that we are soooo great and important compared to others, when truth is we are just another animal species that has existed for a very short time. I'll comment on why they're ridiculous. Note that this only matters if human rights are inherit.

God created man and woman and gave them the right to use animals as they wish.

This is imo the best argument I've heard (and well, I personally think religions are close to ridiculous, and I'm not at all religious). Fact is that this isn't exactly even correct (according to the bible), the pope has even stated that current, unnaturally large-scaled and cruel abuse is not ok, and animals should be treated better although people have the right to use them.

Me macho man, me stronger&personally climbed to top of food chain and eat wtf ever I want.

You also rape women/innocent kids if you think you'd enjoy that?

We are so intelligent and animals are dumber than miss South Carolina

Why is this more significant than, say, being able to run faster or fly? Also this would mean young children and mentally retarded people would be available to be used as food.

We can feel pain and suffer but animals can't.

They can. Maybe less, but they definitely can suffer (even fish, according to new studies, although fish don't express emotions well).

We can create and enjoy art

Yeah, so..? Many animals can also enjoy things we can't.

We have consciousness and animals don't

And what exactly is consciousness, why is it so important and where's any evidence that points to the direction that animals don't have it? Many animals are self-aware.

We can love others etc.

And well, no animal cares about it's children? Some are monogamous too. Also, most human relationships definitely seem like just trading things, so that both sides benefit. While that's fine, I don't see it making us any more worthy.

We have made a deal with animals that we help them exist in big numbers and then can eat them in exchange

Such a deal definitely has not been made.

Life in pain is better than not living at all

If a being never exists, it simply never exists and so can't have any kind of rights or "will to live". And when a being exists it has rights. Just like a person is free to never have kids, but if a child is born, it has rights.

Abusing animals is natural, since we have always done it, and so must be right

Just because we have done something in the past doesn't mean it's right. Or is murdering and raping fine too? Also, before 20th century we didn't abuse animals on nearly similar scale, eating meat used to be much rarer than it now is.

But why would anyone try to claim that humans would be worth less than others? Because we are capable of doing absolutely sick things (even when not counting animal abuse). From nazis etc. to more common things like raping, scamming, murdering, bullying, adultery, incest etc. that can cause huge suffering, while we can fully realize what we are doing and the pain it causes. Animals do kill, but they are simply not capable of nearly similar, systematic things as us. In the other end of the spectrum, AFAIK there's no evidence that a happy person would be somehow happier than a happy animal, and the opposite could be true as well.

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

I root for my team. If we can save a human's life by testing drugs on animals then start testing. I value human life higher than non-human life because I am human. I eat other animals because they are delicious and because for some reason I have pointed teeth in addition to flat teeth. I like having dogs as pets because they like chewing up my shoes and because I like the company.

None of that means I condone the torture of animals or mistreating them any more than is neccesary.

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

[ QUOTE ]
..is that the human species is worth significantly more than other species.

........

Me macho man, me stronger&personally climbed to top of food chain and eat wtf ever I want.

You also rape women/innocent kids if you think you'd enjoy that?



[/ QUOTE ]

The relative worth of the species doesn't exist outside of the human culture, it is us who set the priorities. And I think that your second argument is the most valid for PRACTICE, we are on the top of the food chain and eat whatever we like. As for your rebuttal about rapping innocent, well, sure we would do it if we enjoied it, normally we just don't.

If you want to make a case for a kinder treatment of the animals I think that you have presented the wrong arguments. Check the 'Grand Apes project' for a well argumented case, that aims to extend some human rights to the grand apes.

Anyway one have to draw the line somewhere, will you include the insects in the number of species as important as humans, or bacteria?

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

[ QUOTE ]
Anyway one have to draw the line somewhere, will you include the insects in the number of species as important as humans, or bacteria?

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I don't think a line would need to be drawn, it's gradual change.

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

well played OP

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

Wow that was dumb. We are more important because we are sentient.

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

[ QUOTE ]
Wow that was dumb. We are more important because we are sentient.

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Sorry. But the above is dumb. People who keep proposing that sentience is binary and we have it and nothing else does are just ignorant.

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

Define "worth". Therein lies your problem.

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

Thank you for doing absolutely nothing to change my mind about vegetarianism, or vegetarians.

Damn, that grilled cow flesh was AWESOME last night....

Re: Biggest lie in the history of mankind
 

Lucksack, Am i wrong in saying that every animal on the planet "thinks" its the most important species?