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Q: Thought Experiment #1
asked by:
Georgia59
Especially eHealthy
Let's pretend (and you have to go with me here, I know it's not actually possible but just pretend) that in the year 2047, someone creates a very special medicine.
It only works in cats. If you inject it into a cat, the cat will miraculously turn into a human baby, as if it was just born. This baby will be perfectly healthy. And any cat can receive this injection and turn into a baby.
So, since every cat is now a potential baby, do we have to protect cats and fight for their lives and safekeeping?
I'd like to know your thoughts.
Please go along with the idea here, don't debate if it's useful or not. And if you think it's a horrible scenario, it would be beneficial if you explain why it is not a good metaphor for abortion.
I have more where this came from.... (rubs hands evilly)
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Replies(50)
Verizon-y
Extremely eHealthy
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Jules
Extremely eHealthy
| Georgia59 wrote: |
| protect cats and fight for their lives and safekeeping? |
I think we should do this anyway!
Seriously though, the cat is still a cat until it has the injection so I would say that it should have the right to a peaceful, cruelty-free life as all animals should.
I think it depends on at what point you regard something as having the 'potential' to be a human being and at what point it is a human being. The cat is a potential human being and so is a sperm and an egg. Personally, I don't think the potential means anything - I don't mourn the loss of an egg and I wouldn't mourn the poor cat not being turned into a human baby. However, to me, an embryo is a human being (albeit a very immature one) so it is not just a 'potential'.
However, despite my belief that an embryo is a human being, I am aware that it is different to a born human being and I place higher value on the born person than the embryo. Just like I place higher value on the life of a baby over that of a dog. I actually believe that all living things have an equal right to life but as a human being that is just impossible to enforce. I am being selfish in my very act of living and since I don't want to kill myself, I have to accept that the natural order of life is fundamentally unfair.
Hope that made sense. It was a bit of a stream of consciousness!
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Sandbox Party
Especially eHealthy
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Verizon-y
Extremely eHealthy
| Jules wrote: | ||
I think we should do this anyway! Seriously though, the cat is still a cat until it has the injection so I would say that it should have the right to a peaceful, cruelty-free life as all animals should. I think it depends on at what point you regard something as having the 'potential' to be a human being and at what point it is a human being. The cat is a potential human being and so is a sperm and an egg. Personally, I don't think the potential means anything - I don't mourn the loss of an egg and I wouldn't mourn the poor cat not being turned into a human baby. However, to me, an embryo is a human being (albeit a very immature one) so it is not just a 'potential'. However, despite my belief that an embryo is a human being, I am aware that it is different to a born human being and I place higher value on the born person than the embryo. Just like I place higher value on the life of a baby over that of a dog. I actually believe that all living things have an equal right to life but as a human being that is just impossible to enforce. I am being selfish in my very act of living and since I don't want to kill myself, I have to accept that the natural order of life is fundamentally unfair. Hope that made sense. It was a bit of a stream of consciousness! |
It makes sense to me except for this part:
Personally, I don't think the potential means anything - I don't mourn the loss of an egg and I wouldn't mourn the poor cat not being turned into a human baby. However, to me, an embryo is a human being (albeit a very immature one) so it is not just a 'potential'.
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Emma2
Extremely eHealthy
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Verizon-y
Extremely eHealthy
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meblonde01
Extremely eHealthy
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Emma2
Extremely eHealthy
LOL, I never met a cell that I treated any differently or more than what they are. However, i'll keep you in mind next encounter!
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Georgia59
Especially eHealthy
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Emma2
Extremely eHealthy
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Jules
Extremely eHealthy
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Birch
Extremely eHealthy
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meblonde01
Extremely eHealthy
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Cambion
Active User, very eHealthy
Why would you want to turn a beautiful kitty into a fugly baby? I couldn't fathom doing that to an innocent cat 
It'd be nice if killing cats for any reason beyond euthanasia was made illegal, as well as for other domestic animals (I understand people kill wild animals for sport/food, but that's a whole other ethics issue).
It'd be nice if killing cats for any reason beyond euthanasia was made illegal, as well as for other domestic animals (I understand people kill wild animals for sport/food, but that's a whole other ethics issue).
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Verizon-y
Extremely eHealthy
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Verizon-y
Extremely eHealthy
| Cambion wrote: |
| Why would you want to turn a beautiful kitty into a fugly baby? I couldn't fathom doing that to an innocent cat
It'd be nice if killing cats for any reason beyond euthanasia was made illegal, as well as for other domestic animals (I understand people kill wild animals for sport/food, but that's a whole other ethics issue). |
rofl!
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oopoopoop
Extremely eHealthy
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Tylanas
Especially eHealthy
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