PHIL: Is it ethical to create special purpose sentients?

From: Delvieron@aol.com
Date: Tue Mar 02 1999 - 20:05:07 MST


Ron,

   Good point about the domestication of animals. Indeed, some plantation
owners in the Antebellum American South probably thought that the proper
ethical stance on Slavery was that they should see to their Slaves needs and
not beat them unless absolutely necessary. Of course, one of the problems
with our Slave Owner's view was that the people enslaved didn't all agree to
this viewpoint. Is it okay to enslave something so long as it is doesn't
understand and/or desire freedom? Or maybe it is wrong to have domesticated
animals, making them serve our whims and needs, linking them to us through
breeding them into a perpetual childlike state, and "putting down" any
domestic that goes "feral".

   I am not at this moment suggesting any of these statements as true or
false; just trying to work out all the issues involved. Thanks for your input
on the question.

Glen Finney



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