commodities or anthropomorphised? Digest Number 251

[Guest guest]

Message: 18

Thu, 28 Feb 2002 07:09:49 -0000

" Angie Wright " <angiewright

Re: Re: vegananimals

 

>I think anthropomorphising animals is more accurate than treating them like

commodities.

I have always believed it to be animal abusers who coined the word

" anthropomorphic " in order to keep us from believing they could suffer like

we do .

 

I'm not arguing that animals should be treated as commodities- the exact

opposite

in fact!

 

But both the commodity aproach that animals are just 'things' for peoplekind to

do

with as they please, or the anthropomorphic approach that they are 'like us',

ie,

share our motivations, power to make choices, share our interests, etc are

equally

inappropriate and a result of our alienated and denaturalised relationships with

the earth and it's non human inhabitants.

 

It is a lion's intrinsic nature to be a lion, and to have the interests and

motivations of a lion.

 

It is an e-coli bacteria's intrinsic nature to be an e-coli bacteria, and behave

like an e-coli bacteria

 

Ascribing either with qualities that are based on human constructs, like calling

a

lion 'wrong' for hunting and killing, or an e-coli bacteria 'evil' because it

makes

people ill for example is attempting to impose a 'human-centric' perspective on

a

creation which is in fact far wider and more complex than we could ever hope to

grasp, and that we, were we just a little more humble, would realise we are only

a

tiny part of.

 

Talk of attempting to convert lions to veganism and what have you is yet again

promoting the idea that peoplekind know best about how natural systems and

ecologies 'should' work.

 

Cheers

 

Graham Burnett

www.landandliberty.co.uk

Now available-

'Permaculture A Beginner's Guide'

also

tee shirts- 'Permaculture Manadala'

&

'Land Is Liberty- Plant A Seed Today...'

[Guest guest]

I agree with you that they should be able to be themselves . Seems obvious

to me but so is the fact that eg mammals would suffer as much as I would

the loss of an offspring .Most human beings don't seem to understand that

 

-

" Graham Burnett " <grahamburnett

 

Thursday, February 28, 2002 6:20 PM

commodities or anthropomorphised? Re: Digest Number

251

 

 

>

> Message: 18

> Thu, 28 Feb 2002 07:09:49 -0000

> " Angie Wright " <angiewright

> Re: Re: vegananimals

>

>

> But both the commodity aproach that animals are just 'things' for

peoplekind to do

> with as they please, or the anthropomorphic approach that they are 'like

us', ie,

> share our motivations, power to make choices, share our interests, etc are

equally

> inappropriate and a result of our alienated and denaturalised

relationships with

> the earth and it's non human inhabitants.

>

> Ascribing either with qualities that are based on human constructs, like

calling a

> lion 'wrong' for hunting and killing, or an e-coli bacteria 'evil' because

it makes

> people ill for example is attempting to impose a 'human-centric'

perspective on a

> creation which is in fact far wider and more complex than we could ever

hope to

> grasp, and that we, were we just a little more humble, would realise we

are only a

> tiny part of.

>

>

> Cheers

>

> Graham Burnett

> www.landandliberty.co.uk

> Now available-

> 'Permaculture A Beginner's Guide'

> also

> tee shirts- 'Permaculture Manadala'

> &

> 'Land Is Liberty- Plant A Seed Today...'

>

>

>

>

> To send an email to -

>

>

[Guest guest]

Very true Angie

 

I hear the cows for days after their calves are taken away - it is not

pleasant.

 

Jo

 

> I agree with you that they should be able to be themselves . Seems

obvious

> to me but so is the fact that eg mammals would suffer as much as I would

> the loss of an offspring .Most human beings don't seem to understand that

 

 

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