Do we have a responsibility toward other forms of life?
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,087
That seems like a fair question to me.
We know dolphins and whales and chimps are intelligent. Are they conscious? It has been speculated that it may be so.
If so, what about plants? I recently read about the work of Grover Cleveland "Cleve" Backster. Backster invented the polygraph machine that is basically what is used today in polygraph testing. In the 1960's he went on to devote most of his time studying plant reactions to his polygraph instrument and has found that plants respond to different environments and even situations in which humans harm or threaten them. Backster's work is meticulous and methodical. This is not bogus science.
So if plants can perceive harm or even threats I would think animals can do the same and more. This leads to reminding me of how we humans are so large in numbers and so powerful in our impact on the planet and that we would do well to consider that impact both physically and emotionally on the rest of life. And taking it a step further, it has been proven that like exists in every known condition on earth. It exists in solid rock. It exists in acidic mine drainage and deep sea vents that reach extreme heat levels. It exists in abundance in Pitch Lake, the world's largest deposit of natural asphalt. It even exists in nuclear reactors. Perhaps we would do well to be more conscious and aware of our impact on rocks and soil as well as plants and animals.
If plants can detect threats and life is everywhere on earth would it be a stretch to consider that there is a lot of life on earth that is, at some level sentient? Maybe, maybe not, but in any case, because we exert so much influence on other forms of life- and we do so more so than any other form of life and much of it in harmful ways- does that not put upon us a great burden to be more careful about how we live?
We know dolphins and whales and chimps are intelligent. Are they conscious? It has been speculated that it may be so.
If so, what about plants? I recently read about the work of Grover Cleveland "Cleve" Backster. Backster invented the polygraph machine that is basically what is used today in polygraph testing. In the 1960's he went on to devote most of his time studying plant reactions to his polygraph instrument and has found that plants respond to different environments and even situations in which humans harm or threaten them. Backster's work is meticulous and methodical. This is not bogus science.
So if plants can perceive harm or even threats I would think animals can do the same and more. This leads to reminding me of how we humans are so large in numbers and so powerful in our impact on the planet and that we would do well to consider that impact both physically and emotionally on the rest of life. And taking it a step further, it has been proven that like exists in every known condition on earth. It exists in solid rock. It exists in acidic mine drainage and deep sea vents that reach extreme heat levels. It exists in abundance in Pitch Lake, the world's largest deposit of natural asphalt. It even exists in nuclear reactors. Perhaps we would do well to be more conscious and aware of our impact on rocks and soil as well as plants and animals.
If plants can detect threats and life is everywhere on earth would it be a stretch to consider that there is a lot of life on earth that is, at some level sentient? Maybe, maybe not, but in any case, because we exert so much influence on other forms of life- and we do so more so than any other form of life and much of it in harmful ways- does that not put upon us a great burden to be more careful about how we live?
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.
Democracy Dies in Darkness- Washington PostPost edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
I also think it's impossible as we are hurting and killing other forms of life almost constantly with everything we do.
If someone truly believed they had a responsibility to not harm other life forms, then they would have a lot of trouble driving a car or eating.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
I'm not saying we shouldn't harm other forms of life. That is virtually impossible. What I am suggesting is that our impact on all forms of life is greater than any other's. No other form of life has exterminated as many forms of life as we have. Not the virus that cause the 1918 flu epidemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Not even the bacterium that was responsible for between 75 million and 200 million deaths during the Black Plaque pandemic during the 14th century.
I agree that we should treat other life forms humanely. I think we should give thanks to the lives that sustain us. Even more importantly, however, I am suggesting that we should be more careful about how we live in order to lessen the rate at which we affect life in general- human and otherwise. I am suggesting we consider a biocentic viewpoint in relation to how we live our lives.
A. Ones that look cute:
B. Ones that look delicious:
...
Then, there's bugs and lizards and things we are indifferent towards.
Hail, Hail!!!
That said...
Life feeds on life.
This
is
necessary
You must have missed my thread about the cricket in may garage that was singing along with my "No Code" CD and the spider in my living room dancing to Neil Young and Crazy Horse. If we ever happen to be at the same PJ show I'll bring some of my little friends with me so you can see how cool they are and how into the music they are!
Re pigs: Several years ago, due to difficult circumstances, I was living in my vehicle which, for a while, was parked near a pig sty. I took it upon myself to keep the straw fresh and doing so eliminated the stench. The mother pig, Lone Star, had babies and oh man, were they ever cute! And smart!
1) If we ever meet, I'm giving you nookies - the endearing kind, though.
2) Damn that signature of yours!
3) It IS necessary, no? Some of the animal/nature shows I watch, tough to see the loss of life so others may survive, but that...is life.
:P
I admit... I tend to categorize animals. I like cats and dogs... and their wild brethren, lions and wolves. I like sea mammals... like dolphins and whales and otters. I like birds... well, most birds... pidgeons, you don't make the list!!!
I like reptiles and amphibians... and fish.
I even like bugs... except maggots and flies. I will go to great lengths to relocate a spider from my shower to the front yard (mostly because of that Giant Peach movie). Ants are okay... I just don't like it when they are in my kitchen. I don't go to their house, I don't want them in mine.
...
Then there are the ones like cows and chickens and pigs. I get that... they are food and baseball gloves. although, I am trying to move away from beef and pork. Not so much because of the animal thing, moreso because of the way meat is brought to market. Not a big fan of e-coli and mad cow disease on my dinner plate.
...
So, yeah... i choose who I like to save and who I like for lunch. I would go more for vegetarian... if okra tasted like chicken.
Hail, Hail!!!
I like most bugs. I do kill the black widows that hide in the corners of my garage... they are jut too hazzardous to have lying around. The other spiders, i don't mind. Not a big fan of the flies, so I don't mind the spiders eating them. There are plenty of crickets in the garage... I don't mind them.
...
Hail, Hail!!!
I'm getting a sense that my post was misunderstood and if that's due to my not communicating well, I apologize. I'm not saying that we should never kill other life. That is virtually impossible. We kill things when we never see when walk, drive, have sex, sneeze etc. and we kill things when we eat or build our homes etc.
I'm just suggesting we be more conscious of the lives we take, thankful for the ones we need to sustain us and protect what ever else we can. This is partly what is meant by having a biocentric viewpoint.
Definitely easy to lose sight of these things, though.
My nephew had a science project a few years ago. He planted three plants (I think they were marigolds). 1 of the plants he was to talk lovingly to, 1 he had to be mean to (so he yelled at this plant) and the third he was to completely ignore. This was on a daily basis and all three plants got regular water and food. Guess which plant did the best. (You'd be surprised)
I suspect all of us here (and I have good reason to believe you are, Hedonist) are pretty mindful of life around us. This is, after all, AMT where great minds meet!
What I'm trying to suggest is that if we all (me included- I'm No Angel, as the song goes) kept these thoughts in mind more often we would gravitate more toward a biocentric way of thinking. I'm not saying anyone should do that because it's not my place to tell anyone how to live- I'm just throwing it out there.
I have to work on this more myself and I'm trying to. Last night I killed a moth. I said to it (not out loud lest they be coming to take me away, hee hee ha ha!) but in my head I basically said, "Sorry little guy but if I don't kill you you'll lay eggs in my oatmeal or eat my clothes and my oatmeal and my cloths used a lot of life energy to get here so it's you or them and so I'm sorry but I must kill you". (Also, these moths are overpopulated due to reduction in their natural predators here but that's a long story). Now I'm not suggesting we go through life apologizing for every little impact we make on the world or we would have to do that almost nonstop, 24/7. But if we stop to reflect on our impact now and then, maybe we will get closer to living more lightly on the planet. That doesn't seem too extreme to me.
I'm guessing the plant that got yelled at. Seriously. Backster found that plants could tell the difference between true anger and faked anger. The plant that got yelled at received more carbon dioxide from his breath which aided in photosynthesis.
Yes?
You're right! The plant that was ignored flourished the least.
ding-ding-ding!
The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08