The primate gets it
Continuing from yesterday.
I didn't realise that there was a bit more to yesterday's problem than the picture by Hogarth. The next part is about a lecture which involves the lecturer, Dr Descartes, an obvious subscriber to the Confucian School of Animal Rights, cutting the heart out of a live chimpanzee to demonstrate that animals are just machines. But one student notes that what can be said of non-sentient animals can also be said of human beings.
The little swot has a point, of course, although while I recognise that humans are part of the animal kingdom, I recognise that we have more going for us than mere instinct. Humane or ethical treatment of animals, yes; but to give them right equal to that of humans is to overpromote them. Besides, Nature's a hard bitch. If lions were the dominant species on the planet and we were still humans anyway, they'd be snacking on us because that's what lions do. It wouldn't be a matter of lions thinking they're better, they'd be thinking, "It's time to eat." They wouldn't be thinking, "I wonder if there's a vegetarian option on the menu." We wouldn't even get any special consideration from them. Unless they wanted a white wine sauce to go with there humanoburger.
So, the next time you want to be a snuggle bunny with some vicious wild animal, just remember that's not a love bite it's giving you.
I didn't realise that there was a bit more to yesterday's problem than the picture by Hogarth. The next part is about a lecture which involves the lecturer, Dr Descartes, an obvious subscriber to the Confucian School of Animal Rights, cutting the heart out of a live chimpanzee to demonstrate that animals are just machines. But one student notes that what can be said of non-sentient animals can also be said of human beings.
The little swot has a point, of course, although while I recognise that humans are part of the animal kingdom, I recognise that we have more going for us than mere instinct. Humane or ethical treatment of animals, yes; but to give them right equal to that of humans is to overpromote them. Besides, Nature's a hard bitch. If lions were the dominant species on the planet and we were still humans anyway, they'd be snacking on us because that's what lions do. It wouldn't be a matter of lions thinking they're better, they'd be thinking, "It's time to eat." They wouldn't be thinking, "I wonder if there's a vegetarian option on the menu." We wouldn't even get any special consideration from them. Unless they wanted a white wine sauce to go with there humanoburger.
So, the next time you want to be a snuggle bunny with some vicious wild animal, just remember that's not a love bite it's giving you.
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