Comments for Philosophy On The Mesa

Comment on Overselling Experimental Philosophy by Good X-Phi and Bad Art | The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast | A Philosophy Podcast and Blog

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:46:21 +0000

[…] think experimental philosophers are trying to do anything more. X-phi sceptics frequently get all hot under the collar about the supposed claims of x-phi that it can usurp armchair philosophy. That x-phi-ers somehow […]

Comment on The Ethics of Food: Why not Horse Meat? by Marielle Acac

Marielle Acac — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:58:21 +0000

From THE WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSE AND BURRO ACT OF 1971: “Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols
of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the
Nation and enrich the lives of the American people”

Reiterating what Paul J. Moloney expressed, this is how horses are thought of in the US, and though there is no “horse god”, the taboo is almost comparable to eating cows in Hinduism. American patriotism some religious characteristics and any acts that violate symbols attached to patriotism of this kind cause great offense even if at face value the acts actually “harm” no one. It can also be the case that people here have special relationships with horses (though I’m sure they do in places where horses are normally eaten as well) and their pronounced “role” here is strictly for entertainment and companionship purposes. It seems that if not grown in a US factory, the animal (regardless of what it is) is given special ethical treatment.

If I were a meat-eater, I would not give special ethical concern towards horses. An animal is an animal (try saying that ten times fast). However, I consider myself a utilitarian and include animals in the desire to lessen suffering.

Comment on The Ethics of Food: Why not Horse Meat? by Paul J. Moloney

Paul J. Moloney — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:13:41 +0000

I guess it took me a long time to become less distracted. Though this is a timely and interesting topic, every time I thought of some comment, the comment seemed too trite and boring. But since I somewhat implied that I would make a comment when I was less distracted by the side topic of Mill, I decided that I should say something, no matter how boring and trite.

In American culture the horse seems to be a beloved animal. The horse figures into the legends of the Old West. Horses are made into heroes in books and movies. A long time ago in Old California horses roamed free in what is now the counties of Orange and Los Angeles. The horse race was a big thing back then. People had a lot of dependence on horses for work and travel.

I have had little contact with horses myself. Outside a ride, as a kid, on a pony in Griffith Park, the only contact I had with horses was at Camp Bloomfield. The camp actually had a corral for horses during the summer. Riding horses was an activity for the blind children.
There was one horse there who was an outcast from the Hollywood studios. The horse, suitably named Rebel, caused too much mayhem at the studio, like breaking cameras. This horse was very clever. In the morning he would be the only horse out of the corral. If he felt like it, he would let the other horses out.

I had a very brief romance with the gal who worked with the horses. I did not make it a point to hang around the horse corral (I was on the maintenance crew and was pretty much free to roam around the camp). This might be why one time I was called on the loudspeaker to go to the horse corral to remove a tree limb that was blocking the horse trial. When I got there and asked the gal where the limb was, she showed me. I turned out to be a branch that I picked up with my hand and threw off to the side. She had me called for that! I guess I should have known then that the romance was doomed.

So, I would not eat horse meat out of revenge toward the girl with whom the romance did not last. I would not even think of eating them because of my mindset that many have towards horses culturally. There could be, though, circumstances where there would be no reason not to eat horse meat. People in other cultures do not have the same mindset that a lot of us here have.

Comment on Radical Hope and the Atheist’s Dilemma by Pasi Koistinen

Pasi Koistinen — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:12:42 +0000

Courage, the ability to observe one’s own demise without fear should be considered an intrinsic value because all the lesser values can be derived from that perception.

Comment on The HYPE Virus by Jeremy Postlewaite

Jeremy Postlewaite — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 04:56:21 +0000

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Comment on The Ethics of Food: Why not Horse Meat? by Dwight Furrow

Dwight Furrow — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 01:44:44 +0000

I’m not really sympathic to strict construals of animal rights so I have no moral objections to eating meat. We have moral obligations to persons because we have evolved as social beings and cannot survive without our conduct being regulated by moral norms and the moral emotions that support them.

We don’t share such a dependent history with animals. It has nothing to do with line-drawing.

Thus, I don’t see the point of taboos against eating horsemeat, dogmeat or any of the other foods that are considered off limits. Horses are, of course, beautiful animals. It may be a waste to eat such a specimen. But ugly horses? I say go for it if you like it.

Comment on The Ethics of Food: Why not Horse Meat? by Paul J. Moloney

Paul J. Moloney — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:44:15 +0000

No telling how many points are brought up in this post to which one can respond, but I am distracted by the mention of the utilitarian principle. Some time ago I read again Mill’s treatise on utilitarianism. I must say that I was somewhat shocked. The followers of Mill have misinterpreted him, even though Mill had responded to misconceptions about utilitarianism. Either that, or they had a new form of utilitarianism based on Mill’s. This is what shocked me. Mill writes that utilitarianism presupposes virtue! I did not catch that on my first reading of the treatise. Mill actually subscribed to virtue ethics. Utilitarianism was Mill’s way of extending one’s virtue to benefit the most people. Therefore, arguments such as whether or not it is moral to sacrifice an individual to benefit others would not come up. Mill’s point was to extend one’s own morality to benefit more people.

After reading that treatise again, I was satisfied with Mill’s form of utilitarianism, even though I have argued against the form of utilitarianism promoted by his followers. Mill does lend himself to misinterpretation, as does William James with his pragmatism. It’s amazing that Mill’s own followers misinterpreted him. One might think that they would have studied him a little more thoroughly, but I myself missed Mill’s inclusion of virtue in utilitarianism in my first reading.

Comment on Chris Dorner: Not a Folk Hero by Michael Caputo

Michael Caputo — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:16:53 +0000

“because that kind of evaluation shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the connection between having a cause and taking action, and perhaps even a politically motivated willingness to overlook certain very disturbing facts in favor of some subtext that some people feel ought to be promoted, such as “the LAPD is in need of reforms.”

What Paul says is pretty much what it boils down to. I thought the reaction to Dorner was informative just for showing how much ire LAPD, and presumably PD’s in general, have generated Which I’m assuming is the the source of the willingness to overlook Dorner’s crimes.

Comment on Chris Dorner: Not a Folk Hero by Paul J Moloney

Paul J Moloney — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:48:42 +0000

Those who applaud revenge in others are themselves revengeful.

Comment on Intoxication by Corina Kint

Corina Kint — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:38:52 +0000

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