Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site usl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!akgub!usl!jla From: jla@usl.UUCP (Joseph L Arceneaux) Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: Re: animal vs human rights, morality Message-ID: <342@usl.UUCP> Date: Fri, 1-Mar-85 15:51:22 EST Article-I.D.: usl.342 Posted: Fri Mar 1 15:51:22 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 04:58:49 EST References: <233@usl.UUCP> <1313@bbncca.ARPA>, <110@spar.UUCP> Organization: USL, Lafayette, LA Lines: 24 The thing about language in [other] animals is that it's existence (I grant that there is much discussion about the exact nature of languages in animals, but for my part, it is obvious that such a capability exists) is further evidence that [other] animals are not so different than us [humans] after all. There are certainly chimpanzees who would be infinitely more interesting conversationalists than a large subset of humanity. All this aside, I wholeheartedly agree with Michael that animals certainly can feel pain as well as humans, and I cannot see why it can be wrong to inflict such discomfort upon humans and not other animals. To extend this into more contorversial terms, I see no reason why, if it's OK to use animals for experimentation, humans should not also be used. The only reason for such distinguishments is, I believe, a form of chauvinism on the part of humans. -- Joseph Arceneaux USL Computer Science Department {akgua, ut-sally}!usl!jla "I'm sorry, but my kharma just ran over your dogma."