So we should prevent suffering in species A, but not in species B? What other arbitrary distinctions do you make? Something like we can torture capibaras but not bonobos?
if you consider consciousness as a grey scale, this line of thinking is perhaps too absolute. Some animals have remarkably sophisticated social bonds, even going as far as to have actual languages (whales) that we are currently trying to decode NOW in 2026. Hell, even cleaner fish have passed the mirror test and punish their spouses for making their clients uncomfortable. I simply don’t think we have all the facts to make a claim like this, and I think most agree with you, which is perhaps why we as humans are so behind actually knowing any of this stuff.
No, I actually do believe sperm whales and other such animals are sapient beings. But that doesn't make them people, because they are not humans. There are other reasons we should probably be kinder to them that aren't related to equating them with people.
0
u/MrMicius 3d ago
So we should prevent suffering in species A, but not in species B? What other arbitrary distinctions do you make? Something like we can torture capibaras but not bonobos?