Wonderful reply!There is no question that ôscientific value-neutralö thought has caused great problems in our society. Your examples of nuclear waste (and even the atomic bomb itself) are excellent and certainly true. . Like you, I am a vegetarian, and can CERTAINLY justify my vegetarianism on logical grounds.
Carl Sagan, in his landmark book THE DEMON HAUNTED WORLD--SCIENCE
AS A CANDLE IN THE DARKNESS, points out the failures of science. It is not
perfect. Values, as you describe them are a part of our culture, and so far, our
culture has been based on Judeo-Christian dogma, filtered through the eyes
of the various beholders. There are Asian cultures, not based on
Judeo-Christian ideas that also were marked by horrendous battles and
blood letting. (Feudal Japan, for example).
This dogma has lead to the Holocaust (junk science also lead to it), incredible
suffering during the Inquisition, heinous religious persecution and various
religious wars, causing the horrible deaths of hundreds of millions over the
centuries. Children were burned at the stake and cannibalism was practiced
by invading Christians during the Crusades. The depth of religious-caused
cruelty boggles the mind.
But it remains a fact that our ecosystem is tied to the transfer of energy between plants and animals that requires the deaths (often ugly and horribly painful) of legions of animals since the beginning of it. This has nothing to do with mankind.
It is simply a fact. Nature does not recognize or consider sentient animal
suffering in the greater schema of evolution. Only survival and transfer of
genetic material counts in nature.
That is embarrassing to animal rights activists. I know that it doesnÆt excuse
mankindÆs treatment of animals, but it certainly is reflected in nature. Most
people who have objected to this have said that mankind must be ôbetterö
than nature. I donÆt know if that is possible.
M.M. Rosenblatt
