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From: olsen@ll-xn.ARPA (Jim Olsen)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Vegetarians
Message-ID: <260@ll-xn.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 7-Jan-86 18:12:18 EST
Article-I.D.: ll-xn.260
Posted: Tue Jan  7 18:12:18 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Jan-86 23:52:19 EST
References: <75900002@hpfclg.UUCP  <325@uwai.UUCP  <326@uwai.UUCP <328@uwai.UUCP> <173@hadron.UUCP>
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Lines: 20
Summary: Humans, animals, & ethics

In article <173@hadron.UUCP>, jsdy@hadron.UUCP (Joseph S. D. Yao) writes:
> In article <411@mordred.purdue.UUCP> avr@purdue.UUCP writes:
> >                                      ... What about the vast number
> >of carnivorous animals out there ? Are they all amoral, too, or do
> >these ethical considerations apply to humans only ?
> 
> What???  So far, on this planet, most ethical systems have been
> considered strictly for human beings: animals are intrinsically
> amoral insofar as they are incapable of abstractions.  (Except
> maybe cats and dolphins and various pongoids and ... [;-)])

So you admit that there is an ethically important dichotomy between
animals and people.  When dealing with other people, I am limited by
ethical strictures against murder.  Given the dichotomy mentioned above,
the same strictures needn't be applied when dealing with animals.
Without such restrictions, it is my right as a carnivore to kill and eat
any other animal that I can catch (or have someone catch for me).

It's up to the vegetarians to show that what we carnivores are doing is
wrong: we're just doin' what comes naturally.