On Apr 12, 6:49*pm, George Plimpton > wrote:
> On 4/12/2012 8:58 AM, Rupert wrote:
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> > On Apr 12, 4:27 pm, George > *wrote:
> >> On 4/11/2012 11:29 PM, Dutch wrote:
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> >>> > *wrote in message
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> >>>> On Apr 12, 12:23 am, > *wrote:
> >>>>> > *wrote
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> >>>>>> 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.
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> >>>>> The default starting position for every organism in existence is its own
> >>>>> interests, that is the way the world works.
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> >>>> That is something that requires defence from the moral point of view..
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> >>> You mean like you defended your assertion, by claiming that most
> >>> ethicists agree with you? Well I can't honestly say I've ever met an
> >>> ethicist,
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> >> nor has Woopert...
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> >>> but if they think that way then they are different than every
> >>> other person or animal that I am aware of. No, you're wrong here, in
> >>> fact your description of your own moral calculations proves it. You have
> >>> admitted that adjusting your lifestyle to avoid causing harm to animals
> >>> is secondary to maintaining a suitable career and lifestyle for
> >>> yourself, as it should be.
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> >> Exactly. *Woopert essentially has refused to make any alteration in his
> >> life *whatever* to attempt to give equal consideration to the interests
> >> of animals.
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> > That is quite obvious nonsense.
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> No, it's quite obviously true because *you* told us, explicitly. *You
> said that you can't - actually, won't - do all that you might do to
> ensure you are giving the same consideration to animals' interests that
> you give to humans'. *You said you "needed" to do things to advance your
> career that prevent you from determining which foods produce the least harm.

I am giving the same consideration to animals' interests that I give
to humans', I would behave the same way if the victims were human.