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The Difference
- Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself.
- James A. Froude
English historian (1818 – 1894)
5 Responses to “The Difference”
actually
chimps “tribes” have been shown to go to war, murder innocent babies both within and without of their groups, and plan systematic ambushes. i’m not saying they’re our equal in violence or savagery, but they do have some the the same characteristics.
Cats kill all the time for “sport”
Killer whales have been known to torture baby seals. Mankind is part of nature. Everything we do is part of our nature. The one thing that differentiates us from our fellow creatures is the concept right or wrong. Hunting animals is part of our nature. I wonder if animals experience the enjoyment of using the abilities that evolution has given them. Most hunter must enjoy the act off hunting. There are easier ways to get meat. The hunter probably understands the true cost of meat more than most people. He probably feels more connected to the web of life than most of us. True hunters do not kill for sport.
Well, perhaps one has to consider the concept of choice (which in this context would be related to the concept of right and wrong) when thinking about this quote. I don’t know about chimps or killer whales, but in the example eellis gave, when a cat kills for sport, the cat is acting out of instinct. There is no meaningful choice involved. A cat *cannot* see a mouse and not feel compelled to hunt and (sometimes) kill it.
Kathy
Kathy, cats often play with, or torture their prey.
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Dave Hemmann wrote:
[chuckle]
http://books.google.com/books?id=fP0c4b3jbMYC&lpg=PA239&ots=S5nG70BksD&dq=%22demonic%20males%22&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false
Extra for Experts: What is a fundamental military unit (the smallest group) or a sports team? ANSWER: It’s a raiding (war) party. Anthropology 101!