On Apr 12, 7:11*am, George Plimpton > wrote:
> On 4/11/2012 8:53 PM, Rupert wrote:
>
> > On Apr 12, 12:23 am, > *wrote:
> >> > *wrote
>
> >>> Most ethicists would agree that equal consideration of interests is
> >>> the default starting position.
>
> >> For whom? My default starting position for consideration is my own
> >> interests, followed by my immediate family including my pets, my community,
> >> my country, mankind, higher level animals, rare plant species, lower level
> >> animals, the planet, and the economy is implied in there somewhere.
>
> >> The default starting position for every organism in existence is its own
> >> interests, that is the way the world works.
>
> > That is something that requires defence from the moral point of view.
>
> Why?

Because the interests of other organisms are equally important from
the moral point of view, and you must offer reasons for favouring your
own.