tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638402958079714573.post1989660871336956757..comments2011-04-19T16:06:39.581-05:00Comments on Humanism and Human Rights: Baboons and Rights DiscourseDoctor Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189506916480012553noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638402958079714573.post-61215733447653514392011-03-21T19:47:45.292-05:002011-03-21T19:47:45.292-05:00While a definite human category may be a bit tenuo...While a definite human category may be a bit tenuous, we may at least take comfort that the distinction is as clear at it is. Early Homo sapiens coexisted and occasionally mingled with the neanderthal, and they are classified as two different species. Yet, for whatever reason, life has unraveled such that in this day and age that apparently the only creatures capable of entering this social contract we try so hard to universalize belong to one and the same species.Cole Bradleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03884482265292098586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638402958079714573.post-28529446787789047652011-03-21T14:37:23.184-05:002011-03-21T14:37:23.184-05:00Additionally, if human rights were initially grant...Additionally, if human rights were initially granted to only the landed white and often wealthy, then it shows that our society needs to agree that a group is worthy, before they can become rights holders. So in the United States as rights expanded they went first to now land owning white men, then onto men of all races, then religious minorities, then women. But who is it that we still exclude? <br />Convicted felonies, people with psychological problems, some elderly, homeless people, child molesters or terrorist, or aesthetics or illegal immigrants and numerous other groups. I think we are far from accepting animals into the realm of universal human rights and if anything occurs, it will be more future conditions will be placed on rights. So no though I would love to see a baboon playing piano, I don't think he has the mental capacity or the worth of a human being.JonSchwartzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10360304078030113163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638402958079714573.post-5451978102166630792011-03-16T16:40:49.283-05:002011-03-16T16:40:49.283-05:00Ben, interesting post! I think that this is a very...Ben, interesting post! I think that this is a very difficult idea to find a solid answer to though. I think you present both sides of the debate very nicely and that makes it even more difficult to reason and justify one side over the other. I know that we have developed our rights starting from only a certain group having rights and developing those rights to something much bigger to entail a universal sense of those rights, but I'm not sure if those rights extend to animals. I think that if these animals cannot reason and learn then we should not feel obligated to grant rights when mental capacities are so different. Perhaps I'm too critical, but at this point in time I do not think that we are on the same level mentally as baboons so we do not need to concern ourselves with granting them the same universal rights.Liz Fieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05905302112464464965noreply@blogger.com