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Is It Morally Wrong To Love Your Pet More Than A Stranger?

rhinefire

rhinefire

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Yesterday I heard a young woman claim she would die if anything happened to her horse so I thought up this question. This is a little far fetched but here goes-you have to choose between permitting the killing of a human being somewhere in the world you do not know and never will or allowing your favorite pet to be killed in their place so that person may live. You are not permitted to learn any information of any kind about the person. How would you choose?
 
Oh brother! I think you have too much time on your hands!
 
I for one love these kind of thought experiments.

I don't think it is morally wrong to love your pet more than a stranger.

I do think it would be morally wrong to allow your pet to live if it means a human somewhere must die. But in such a situation I am not certain I would do the moral thing.
 
EnigmaO01 said:
Oh brother! I think you have too much time on your hands!
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It is reprehensible!
The very question!
If I had to make the decision between my cat and the next. ... let it surfice to say: poor village.
 
Like similar hypotheticals, the answer hinges on the experience of emotional proximity positivity.

If you feel close to your pet, and your emotional experience with your pet is positive, life-affirming, etc., that's going to trump a distant stranger for many people, even if that stranger is indeed of the same species as yourself.

This is especially true if the world is perceived as unstable and a bit dangerous, as a pet can also provide a sense of security whereas the stranger may be viewed with suspicion.

Thus many in Africa are starving .. but our pets are fed well.
 
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A better question would be...would you shoot a starving homeless guy who wanted to eat your pet when there was nothing else?

At least you would know who's dying.
 
rhinefire said:
Yesterday I heard a young woman claim she would die if anything happened to her horse so I thought up this question. This is a little far fetched but here goes-you have to choose between permitting the killing of a human being somewhere in the world you do not know and never will or allowing your favorite pet to be killed in their place so that person may live. You are not permitted to learn any information of any kind about the person. How would you choose?
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This is simple for me - I'd save my pet. I have direct responsibility for the care, comfort, and health of my pet whereas I have no direct responsibility for any person in the world whom I do not know. Let those who brought this person into the world and those who love and care for this person look after him/her and I'll look after my pet.
 
rhinefire said:
Yesterday I heard a young woman claim she would die if anything happened to her horse so I thought up this question. This is a little far fetched but here goes-you have to choose between permitting the killing of a human being somewhere in the world you do not know and never will or allowing your favorite pet to be killed in their place so that person may live. You are not permitted to learn any information of any kind about the person. How would you choose?
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Since I know nothing about the person, I would choose the pet. If I choose the person and kill the pet, another person will die anyway.
 
I've loved many of my pets, but if I had to I would gladly exchange them for someone's life.

When it comes down to it they are still only animals.
 
rhinefire said:
Yesterday I heard a young woman claim she would die if anything happened to her horse so I thought up this question. This is a little far fetched but here goes-you have to choose between permitting the killing of a human being somewhere in the world you do not know and never will or allowing your favorite pet to be killed in their place so that person may live. You are not permitted to learn any information of any kind about the person. How would you choose?
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as empathy is generally "line of sight" ... it's fine if one chooses their pet over a stranger.

in your scenario, i'd choose my pet....
it's virtually impossible to empathize with something or someone one you have no knowledge of or connection with..... as you concoct a connection with the stranger, the chances of empathizing with them increases exponentially.
 
rhinefire said:
Yesterday I heard a young woman claim she would die if anything happened to her horse so I thought up this question. This is a little far fetched but here goes-you have to choose between permitting the killing of a human being somewhere in the world you do not know and never will or allowing your favorite pet to be killed in their place so that person may live. You are not permitted to learn any information of any kind about the person.
How would you choose?
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Since this isn't going to happen to I'm not going to choose, but you have my permission to make your choice. :roll:
 
To be honest, gotta say I'd choose my pet.

I took her out of a neglectful/abusive history and promised to take care of all of her needs to the best of my ability. She might not be as bright as a human, but she's certainly bright enough to comprehend betrayal of trust, fear, and physical and emotional suffering.

At the end of the day, there is no reason why humans are inherently superior to everything else. We're "just animals" as much as they are. I have a direct responsibility to my cat, as I do to some people in my life, that I don't have to strangers of any species. I'm not going back on that.
 
This question came up a while ago and my answer is still my pet. My pet is part of my family and like any other member of my family I will do what is necessary to save them from harm. Sorry, but my family comes first and that includes my pets.
 
WCH said:
A better question would be...would you shoot a starving homeless guy who wanted to eat your pet when there was nothing else?

At least you would know who's dying.
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That's what I'd do. My dog could live a long time on a starving homeless guy - if he wasn't too skinny. Imagine the savings on not having to buy dog food. ;)
 
Dayton3 said:
I've loved many of my pets, but if I had to I would gladly exchange them for someone's life.

When it comes down to it they are still only animals.
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At the end of the day...thats all we are too...right? Thats why welfare and social programs are such a horrid waste of time. The human animal is amazing but far less intelligent than most species in the animal kingdom. Most species are smart enough to either kill off their crippled and weak or simply let them die. We enable them and in fact facilitate their polluting of the genetic pool.
 
rhinefire said:
Yesterday I heard a young woman claim she would die if anything happened to her horse so I thought up this question. This is a little far fetched but here goes-you have to choose between permitting the killing of a human being somewhere in the world you do not know and never will or allowing your favorite pet to be killed in their place so that person may live. You are not permitted to learn any information of any kind about the person. How would you choose?
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While I type this, many people I've never heard of will die. Some of natural causes, some by violence or accident. Some so suddenly they never knew what hit them, others in terror and pain.

I chose to type this instead of trying to identify and save them, since the latter would be fruitless and it is hard to care overmuch about faceless strangers, unless their passing generates a news story that tugs at your heartstrings.



So if someone came to me and said "Kill your favorite pet now, or some person you've never met and know nothing about will die somewhere in the world."


I'd look at him like he was a loony and tell him to get off my lawn. :)


clint-eastwood-get-off-my-lawn.jpg
 
VanceMack said:
At the end of the day...thats all we are too...right? Thats why welfare and social programs are such a horrid waste of time. The human animal is amazing but far less intelligent than most species in the animal kingdom. Most species are smart enough to either kill off their crippled and weak or simply let them die. We enable them and in fact facilitate their polluting of the genetic pool.
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Surely you are being ironic and don't really believe that.
 
Goshin said:
Surely you are being ironic and don't really believe that.
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Stop it dood...you are giving it away!!!

It IS the appropriate response if we are killing off God and morality. We have to seek argument in context. If we are mere animals, one need only look at the damage to the human animal that has been caused by mercy and charity and welfare to see how personally destructive we are as a species.

Regarding the OP...if we are mere animals, then the answer is obvious. If times are that dire, kill and eat the stranger. The stranger represents a threat.Besides...the pet isnt going anywhere. We can save it for later if needed.

IF however we are 'moral' then we would of course sacrifice the pet .
 
VanceMack said:
Stop it dood...you are giving it away!!!

It IS the appropriate response if we are killing off God and morality. We have to seek argument in context. If we are mere animals, one need only look at the damage to the human animal that has been caused by mercy and charity and welfare to see how personally destructive we are as a species.

Regarding the OP...if we are mere animals, then the answer is obvious. If times are that dire, kill and eat the stranger. The stranger represents a threat.Besides...the pet isnt going anywhere. We can save it for later if needed.

IF however we are 'moral' then we would of course sacrifice the pet .
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:lamo

I like your humor!
 
People are willing to pay $1000's in vet fees to save their pets life, that they would never donate to some charity that saves lives.

I don't think that is morally wrong.
 
There are seven billion humans. I only have one pet. Sorry, random stranger.
 
Removable Mind said:
That's what I'd do. My dog could live a long time on a starving homeless guy - if he wasn't too skinny. Imagine the savings on not having to buy dog food. ;)
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Yep and we already have a grinder.

"Dog food is Bums!"
 
I would shoot a hungry homeless man to protect my-- well, one of my family's-- pets. The pets are part of my family, the stranger is not.
 
rhinefire said:
Yesterday I heard a young woman claim she would die if anything happened to her horse so I thought up this question. This is a little far fetched but here goes-you have to choose between permitting the killing of a human being somewhere in the world you do not know and never will or allowing your favorite pet to be killed in their place so that person may live. You are not permitted to learn any information of any kind about the person. How would you choose?
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Am I allowed to masturbate instead?

God-kills-kitten.jpg

It would be a win-win situation for my pet and the unknown villager!
 
Nilly said:
People are willing to pay $1000's in vet fees to save their pets life, that they would never donate to some charity that saves lives.

I don't think that is morally wrong.
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THAT is a fantastic point!! I always cringed at people decorating their pets with diamonds and jewels while millions die of starvation. When you look at it, it is kind of creepy how much we spend on food for our pets. Some store even have refrigerators for pet food!!
 
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