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From: wenn@cmu-cs-k.ARPA (John Wenn)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Response to a series of Torek articles
Message-ID: <374@cmu-cs-k.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 19-Apr-85 00:18:38 EST
Article-I.D.: cmu-cs-k.374
Posted: Fri Apr 19 00:18:38 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 21-Apr-85 02:04:38 EST
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 16

There is definitely some use in the dictionary, but the English
language does not always provide us with words that express things
exactly as we want them to be expressed.  Re the small question, people
cook lobsters by boiling them alive in water.  Many more people eat
lobster that freshly boiled-in-oil monkey brains.  Does this make
lobster a more "moral" thing to eat?  Free will implies rationality.
Rationality implies the ability to make decisions.  The ability to make
decisions implies the ability to base your actions on the
considerations of others.  The consideration of the creature comforts
of others, the decision would be to not eat the monkey.  As far as
humans are concerned, one is supposed to base one's actions on the
considerations of others.  Otherwise, society will clobber you.  This
is why it couldn't be a child instead of a monkey.

Robin
wenn@cmu-cs-k