How we treat other living things

[Pattern-chaser]

So living creatures, if they are not conscious, deserve no consideration?

Is the animal not conscious because it's dead? Or maybe it's unconscious because the animal is sleeping?

Sorry, what? You say you respect consciousness. I'm asking if living creatures, creatures that you would not consider conscious, deserve any kind of respect at all?

[Kaz_1983]

Is the animal not conscious because it's dead? Or maybe it's unconscious because the animal is sleeping?

Sorry, what? You say you respect consciousness. I'm asking if living creatures, creatures that you would not consider conscious, deserve any kind of respect at all?

I never said that you should universally respect consciousness but that compared to an animal, an iceberg lettuce isn't conscious and therefore self-aware.

In terms of your question to me about whether or not moral consideration (in my view) is not given to creatures that are not conscious. No I'm just saying that it depends on many factors, for example that a human is not conscious when sleeping -compare this to a human who is dead, he is not conscious either. So to your question, it's a no for the reasons above.

[Kaz_1983]

For example.. I don't respect Hitler's consciousness (post holocaust) in the same way that I respect mine all yours.

[popeye1945]

It is through consciousness that opinion is expressed and it is through consciousness that biological extensions are created. In respect to Hitler, the holocaust you could say is a biological extension of his consciousness. How to treat other living things, Hitler it is a case in point. Hitler was a psychopath, he obviously was unmoved by human suffering, but how close is one to the psychopath, if one is indifferent to the suffering of other creatures, we humans have a history of arrogance supported by religious texts, so its been kind of mindset, one that science is dismantling, If one doubts that one can suffer without a brain, just consider how complex the brain is, then realize it was the body which created the brain not the other way around. The limbic system is the emotional center in our brain, and it is ancient, we share this system with reptiles and all manner of creatures. If you feel some sort of resistance to accepting the ability of our cousin creatures to feel and to suffer, I think you need to examine your resistance.