Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA05814 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 1 Jun 2000 12:02:22 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745892@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Primate Rights Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2000 12:00:14 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Thanks for the response. I know the veggie comment was a bit obvious, but
it just brought back fond memories of winding someone up and putting them
off their pool game.
I'm still not sure of the utility to the individual of thinking that
nature's beautiful, or other species are nice (especially tigers- although I
do think tigers are magnificent animals, and I don't want to see them become
extinct, but I don't want to be eaten by one either).
I mean we understand now what the importance of biodiversity is, but could
natural selection have produced it as a normative rule for a conscious
animal, or rather how did it develop?
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Robin Faichney
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 7:54 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: RE: Primate Rights
>
> On Wed, 31 May 2000, Vincent Campbell wrote:
> >I've always been arachnophobic myself (phobias having been discussed at
> some
> >length on this list, I thought I'd just drop that one in).
> >
> >Is one difference about humans that we actually care about other species
> >becoming extinct? (Quite aside from our awareness of extinction which I
> >would guess is another).
>
> The second depends on the first, though.
>
> >Where does that come from- our concern for other species?
>
> EO Wilson originated the concept of "biophilia" -- an inherited tendency
> to
> love nature. I'm not at all well up on this, but the one example that
> stuck in my mind was that mature, stable ecosystems tend to look beautiful
> to us. I really don't know whether it might apply directly to other
> species, but I'd guess it might be an important underpinning of a memeplex
> that did assign intrinsic value to other species.
>
> >I can see a logic in wanting to preserve species that we directly rely on
> in
> >some way, such as for food. (I once said to a vegetarian, in a bit of pub
> >banter, that if everyone in the world became vegetarians, then there
> would
> >be no need for the millions of farm animals, and they'd all have to be
> >slaughtered because- we'd need the land for crops, they'd use up
> resources,
> >and they've been so selectively bred for so long they'd not be very
> capable
> >in the wild).
>
> Most vegetarians have probably heard that one many times. It is rather
> obvious, if you don't mind me saying so, Vincent.
>
> >Yet we also care about species that are potentially dangerous to us, such
> as
> >Tigers and Wolves (e.g. plans to reintroduce wolves in several countries,
> >including Scotland- where I live, that's why I mention it). I'm not
> opposed
> >to any of this, I just wonder how this is adaptive behaviour for us.
>
> Why should it be adaptive? Remember where you are! But I'm sure
> something
> that was once adaptive lies behind it, and that might well be biophilia.
>
> --
> Robin Faichney
>
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
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For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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