Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Humans and Animals

Nefir · 10-04-2003, 07:24 PM

This is just me making up for fueling the thread hijack with the kangaroo mutilation thing

The questions stand thus:
Are animals capable of cruelty, or is the pain they cause to others driven by instinct?
What about humans gives them this quality that they use so liberally?

I currently believe that animals are incapable of the cruelty we humans may act with. Cruelty requires certain mental functions that I do not believe animals posess. Any act which may look cruel to us may be just an instinctual drive, forcing the animal to act this way, or a learned behavior to help it accomplish a certain task easier.

I also believe that humans are capable of cruelty because they can put themselves into the shoes of their "victim" and consider what they are experiencing (not just considering a reaction to their actions, like an animal might), and respond with apathy. ie: "Why don't I just pull the legs off this cricket, and watch it thrash about helplessly? It can't do anything to me!" or "Why don't I just tie this kangaroo to my SUV and lynch it across the countryside? Its pain is so hilarious, and I'm so macho for pulling this off!"

Convince me otherwise.

10-04-2003, 07:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
Nefir Junkie Location: Louisville, KY	Humans and Animals - Where does cruelty come from? This is just me making up for fueling the thread hijack with the kangaroo mutilation thing The questions stand thus: Are animals capable of cruelty, or is the pain they cause to others driven by instinct? What about humans gives them this quality that they use so liberally? I currently believe that animals are incapable of the cruelty we humans may act with. Cruelty requires certain mental functions that I do not believe animals posess. Any act which may look cruel to us may be just an instinctual drive, forcing the animal to act this way, or a learned behavior to help it accomplish a certain task easier. I also believe that humans are capable of cruelty because they can put themselves into the shoes of their "victim" and consider what they are experiencing (not just considering a reaction to their actions, like an animal might), and respond with apathy. ie: "Why don't I just pull the legs off this cricket, and watch it thrash about helplessly? It can't do anything to me!" or "Why don't I just tie this kangaroo to my SUV and lynch it across the countryside? Its pain is so hilarious, and I'm so macho for pulling this off!" Convince me otherwise.