tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post4957174171976452842..comments2024-03-22T06:22:08.010+00:00Comments on Stephen Law: Review: The Pig That Wants to Be EatenStephen Lawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167317543994731177noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-75131796704275340582008-05-13T10:39:00.000+00:002008-05-13T10:39:00.000+00:00What if the pig wants to be eaten is the same as a...What if the pig wants to be eaten is the same as asking, “If someone wants to be killed should you kill him,” which is frankly a silly question. Just like the pig in question some people desperately want to die. Should we set aside a place in every emergency room where people who want to kill themselves are executed? <BR/><BR/>The hidden assumption is one wants to eat the pig. I see little difference between eating a person who wants to be eaten an eating a pig that wants to be eaten. Frankly I don’t think that most people believe that they should do what ever another person wants them to do.<BR/><BR/>People use different rules to make moral decisions. No one rule is sufficient to make all moral decisions and sometimes the rules can contradict one and other. Not killing, harming, or giving pain to a sentient being is a pretty common rule. That rule makes eating, “the pig that wants to be eaten” out. The fact that the pig wants to be eaten indicates to me that some very evil being created the poor pig.flamestarrantshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07265665454988353204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-8271847162837509302007-08-27T11:47:00.000+00:002007-08-27T11:47:00.000+00:00the written word can make us laugh and cry,so sure...the written word can make us laugh and cry,so surely if a pig could read you can make the pig want to be eaten.so can it be said that the written word could make the human being want to kill/commit suicide/instil mental instabilityjabawokyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01997092445135686920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-2674779447076567712007-04-20T23:41:00.000+00:002007-04-20T23:41:00.000+00:00Steelman,Sounds like a plan man. I'm sure we'll ru...Steelman,<BR/>Sounds like a plan man. I'm sure we'll run into eachother eventually.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940256159530950050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-63353146014991937312007-04-19T04:04:00.000+00:002007-04-19T04:04:00.000+00:00To Alex: I was just attempting to humorously follo...To Alex: I was just attempting to humorously follow up on your seemingly sardonic allusion to naturalistic reductionism. I'm a compatibilist, and would enjoy hearing your arguments about how naturalism prohibits free will or a meaningful life. Perhaps on a more appropriate thread, or on your blog some time?<BR/><BR/>To BB: I agree that thought experiments are non-empirical. However, they are also used as a precursor to empirical, physical scientific experimentation. Although, those types of scenarios usually don't involve talking livestock or stolen brains!<BR/><BR/>Now that I think about it, though, since thoughts precede actions, can't thought experiments be used to predict actions (attitudes = behavior)? There was an experiment recently that involved two groups of Israeli school children and the story of Jericho, if I recall correctly. One group was given the actual bible story, and the other was given a version with the details changed to a Chinese general and an ancient city in China. The Chinese general was thought by most in the second group to be acting immorally because of the atrocities committed against the city's inhabitants. However, most of the students in the first group thought Joshua was justified in his actions because he was following God's command. I think this says something about actions that might occur in the real world due to attitudes revealed by the thought experiment.<BR/><BR/>Well, I probably should have picked a different example; Alex is going to think we atheists talk about nothing but religion!Steelmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09612062887585525213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-57042816442789030892007-04-19T02:30:00.000+00:002007-04-19T02:30:00.000+00:00I bet you would. ;-)I bet you would. ;-)Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940256159530950050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-1020874707637498802007-04-18T23:45:00.000+00:002007-04-18T23:45:00.000+00:00[T]he cause and effect reality of a strict natural...<I>[T]he cause and effect reality of a strict naturalistic world view abolishes any attempt we might make to affirm our lives our meaningful or free to any extent.</I><BR/><BR/>If you make that argument in print, I'd love to address it.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-32424929077310928832007-04-18T22:35:00.000+00:002007-04-18T22:35:00.000+00:00I'm sorry, I'm used to talking to atheists who hol...I'm sorry, I'm used to talking to atheists who hold to a strictly naturalistic world view. Stephen recently informed me that there is no need for an atheist to affirm strict naturalism. Now I don't know what that means exactly, but depending on how that's unpacked, it would certainly de-fang my argument that the cause and effect reality of a strict naturalistic world view abolishes any attempt we might make to affirm our lives our meaningful or free to any extent.<BR/><BR/>But this is getting waaAAAY off topic and to be honest I should have just kept my fool mouth shut. Sorry to clutter up the comment box here.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940256159530950050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-46357705832821209532007-04-18T21:45:00.000+00:002007-04-18T21:45:00.000+00:00Alex said:"And if our thoughts are nothing more th...Alex said:<BR/>"And if our thoughts are nothing more than chemical noise..."<BR/><BR/>...then this is actually a blog about chemistry?Steelmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09612062887585525213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-31129570966632404982007-04-18T14:27:00.000+00:002007-04-18T14:27:00.000+00:00And if our thoughts are nothing more than chemical...And if our thoughts are nothing more than chemical noise...Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940256159530950050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1905686568472747305.post-33147895424552254582007-04-18T12:42:00.000+00:002007-04-18T12:42:00.000+00:00Thought experiments are great, but as you note the...Thought experiments are great, but as you note they tell us nothing about anything but our thoughts.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.com