Search results

The biological function of sex is reproduction. Sex also has numerous distinct social functions e.g. communication, and attachment & bonding. It's often worth keeping in mind that biological utility does not equal ethical weight.

Bshoc, I figured I'd throw these questions at you again: "(1) What kind(s) of 'beings' do you think should have the right to life? (i.e. define beings: humans? animals? cells? cells with the potential to become human?) (2) Why should these beings have a right to life? (justification, etc.)"

I've been interested in reading up on chomsky's innate language idea but I haven't found the time to get that deep into the literature (do you know a good text which lays the idea out clearly?). Nonetheless, it seems relatively plausible to suggest that, at birth, we all have brains whose...

A quick comment on the latter point about descendants of the stolen: Earlier this year I did an assignment on parent-child attachment relationships and their impact on emotional development. It seemed to be the case that the presence/absence of a relationship with a caregiver greatly...

bshoc, a lot of your points don't address the issue (or my post, I might add), e.g.: - Statements about libertarianism - Essentially claiming that you don't want to be considered an animal, therefore you are not an animal (invalid?). - Making stabs at muslim values. - Talking about...

The point is that people have different ways of defining 'beings' and why they have a right to life. Their method of justification has huge implications for the application of such a right. Hence my method is unimportant given my aim: i.e. to understand your conception of the right to life. If...

I renumbered your list so I could reply to each point (I hope you don't mind): (1) Biological functionality does not run parallel to moral worth. For example, our knowledge of genetics suggests that we could create a smarter, stronger human race by killing those who are weak of limb or mind...

Nah, I havn't read hawking but I've read similar things in the past. The main things I would have read in that kind of vein (aside from textbooks) would be The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene and Physics and Philosophy by Heisenberg. The question of whether we need justification for our...

A few things: - If we're talking about the 'multiverse'/reality, then 'where does it exist?' might not be a valid question (in which case the answer may be Mu). - What do you think about the notion of explaining how the universe might have began via 'vacuum fluctuations'? - What if...

Assertion without justification. why don't you think animals should have the right to life? ... or, a couple more important questions (which I hope you answer): (1) What kind(s) of 'beings' do you think should have the right to life? (i.e. define beings: humans? animals? cells? cells with the...

A question for bhsoc: What is your argument (justifications etc) for giving humans a right to life?

Well, if you're going to ask that, why should you care about your state? or your family? Why should we care about people at all? I'll offer you a few ideas: (1) People should be treated as ends in themselves (to abuse an overused and somewhat ambiguous claim), i.e. the fact that they are...

Conversion of belief does not necesarily require truth. If you went to a village which had had little contect with the outside world you could probably convince them that the world is flat if you told them it was the case for long enough. To argue that 'X is true because LOTS of people believe...

A second rule appears to go with 'X is true because I believe it to be so'... which we can call: 'X can't be true because it doesn't fit my conception of the way the universe should work'. On multiple occaisions science has come up with discoveries which fly in the face of the second rule...

Ok, so you don't wish to be open minded and try and understand the issue that zero logic/evidence creates. In passing over it you're missing a key concept in understanding my/our position. Oh well, your choice really. However, I'd like to pose this again: "(2) A hypothetical: If we...

This problem always appears in this debate. You have asked us to be open minded so now I'm going to ask the same of you and consider the following: (1) As you have pointed out, your assertions are not based on logic/evidence. Can you see the issue with this? If you admit arguments without...

IMO: Your average 'tag' ---> Vandalism Pieces ---> Art... some graffiti artists are pretty amazing, and deserve more recognition than they get. An artist I was introduced to called Banksy does some pretty awesome stuff (with some funny/scary social commentary).

Also, readressing this point: That we can exist with the quality of life that we do (in the western world) relies a lot on ensuring that parts of the third world remain with a sub-standard quality of life where they live off of very little resources. Cheap labour in the third world --->...

Economic growth does not equal population growth. The logic is simple: (1) The earth is composed of a limited about of matter... similarly there is an upper limit to how many resources the earth can provide. (2) Each human requires a base level of resources for survival (and a higher...

The main grounds for taking issue with bestiality and pedophilia --> in most cases it is difficult/impossible to gain an appropriate form of consent. There exists a potentially dangerous power imbalance in these cases. This issue is not present in homosexuality. You are wrong to say that "it...