Poll: Killing non-humans.

[Thunderous Cacophony]

Yeah, it's just as bad. Dwarves, elves, etc. are all just as intelligent, just as empathetic as humans; killing them in anything other than the most dire straits of self-defense would be just as wrong as killing a person.

For the vampires and werewolves? What Doclector said: "If it's hostile, you kill it." If the vampire lives by draining people and enslaving villages, feel free to put a stake in it's heart. If the werewolf makes sure he's near humans during the full moon, silver bullet to the brain. If the vampire tries to get enough blood to survive from blood banks, or the werewolf lives in the far north to avoid hurting people, try and help them, or at least don't kill them out of hand; they are still thinking, caring beings.

 

[spartan231490]

If the species in question is sapient and sentient, what on earth makes that species less deserving of life than Humans? Therefore, ethically, yes it is just as bad.

 

[Basement Cat]

That depends. By "vampires" do you mean killing this guy:

Or this guy:

Cause I'll murder the first guy in his sleep. Scratch that, I'll murder them both in their sleep. But I'll feel sorri-er for one of them. Guess who?

You'll be sorri-er about the first one. The second should be set on fire after you kill it. Got to be sure it don't come back.

Ninja'd ^_^

Given that people fantasize about meeting genuine ET's some day your question carries over to include sapient aliens. So the answer for me is a DEFINITIVE NO! That's murder. Murder IS illegal, doncha know.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Yes, though most people wont see it that way. I've seen or at least heard the argument that its not wrong to kill Native people if they're not in an advanced society like yours, or I guess dafur region africans. And as bad as that is to say, I dont see how its any different than if you think its wrong to kill elves/werewolves/orcs/etc if its shown they have a societal structure.

I think elves would be the hardest to justify,s ine they are usually shown to be the most human. But whatever your setting, its wrong to kill them if they have a societal structure. Underworld, LotR, etc. all have been shown to have a society in place. So I would say its wrong, because tehy are on the level of human understanding.

 

[Deathmageddon]

Only if they have a valuable future like ours. Most don't. Marquis, baby!

 

[RevRaptor]

If you can justify killing these races that are equal to us in almost every respect then you have a lot in common with Hitler. Its not happening to our kind so it doesn?t count, is wrong regardless of species race or gender.

 

[DragonStorm247]

The issue here is somewhat related to the uncanny valley. The further away from "human" it is, the less objectionable killing it becomes.

So it looks something like Human > Elf > Orc > Werewolf(wolf form)

 

[Mr F.]

I dont like elves.

Or Dwarves.

And if I can kill them in games I will go out of my way to do so.

Just don't like their smarmy attitude. Or there obsession with drinking and facial hair.

Essentially, I cannot grow a beard and I am not particularly graceful. SO FUCK ALL ELVES AND DWARVES.

As for whether or not they are objectively worth less then humans? Bleh. Take it on a case by case basis. If there is an elf with dyspraxia who wants to join me on my slaughter, feel free. Same applies to a clean shaven t-total Dwarf.

 

[Jacco]

If you can justify killing these races that are equal to us in almost every respect then you have a lot in common with Hitler. Its not happening to our kind so it doesn?t count, is wrong regardless of species race or gender.

I am not advocating genocide on them, just in terms of warfare or combat.

 

[uzo]

Forget 'non-humans'; howsabout 'non-organic'. AI Sentience deserves 'life' just as much as some poxy elf.

Consider these poignant last words:

HAL: Dave. My mind is going. I can feel it .... I can feel it ....

T-101: I know now why you cry. But it is something I could never do.

Roy Batty: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attacked ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.

 

[NightmareExpress]

All life is equal.
There's "good" people and there's "bad" people in the same way that there are "good" and "bad" elves, dwarves and orcs.
If it's sentient and hostile, I'm putting a bullet in it's brain/a blade through it's vitals. It doesn't matter what race, religion or background it has.

If they aren't out to gut me, I'll talk to them and we'll probably co-exist in a peaceful manner.
Who knows? Maybe they'll end up being better than humans.

 

[Happiness Assassin]

Werewolves don't give a shit about you and won't hesitate to turn you into a chew toy. Vampires are predators that would love nothing more than to feast on your tasty blood and turn you into one of them. Elves and dwarves are alright though.

BTW vampires are undead and don't constitute being alive.

 

[Robo_Luddite]

Why isn't it generally ok to just kill other humans? If it's not because they're intelligent, self-aware creatures that are capable of feeling pain then what is it? Is it simply because they meet some higher level of superficial similarity to me than elves or goblins? Because you know who else bears a superficial dissimilarity to me? Black people. Also gays and women. I met a girl with downs the other day and for some reason I treated her like another person instead of beating her face into a bloody pulp. I really can't imagine what reason I'd have to show such restraint considering the fact considering, with her extra chromosome, she's half way to being a different species already.

And even if you don't want to open the whole messed up can of ethical worms that is the morality of killing you can consider it from a purely pragmatic standpoint. If I show less compunction to kill creatures of another species simply because they're different then I really can't expect any compunction on they're behalf towards me, so it's useful for me to consider them of comparable moral worth to my fellow humans.

Actually, I'm curious OP. In your ethical vision how bad is it for an elf to kill another elf? If it's worse than it killing a human then at least your ethics have some smidgeon of self consistency.

 

[Xan Krieger]

It's war, you gotta kill what you gotta kill to win. In the end you're trying to win the war, morals have no part in that. Take for example Mass Effect, if it's trying to kill me it's as good as dead. I don't care if I'm stabbing a krogan in the quad or a human in the neck, they shot first so they asked for it.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Thing is, they start as human right, so that'd make them part human part vampire etc. So I count that as just as bad, but I say that about any kind of death that isn't based around survival.

 

[Little Woodsman]

Now think about this....
In many fantasy settings Elves, Orcs & Dwarves can breed with humans, producing viable offspring.
Doesn't that make them essentially human?
In many fantasy settings, Werewolves *are* humans, afflicted with a particular condition. If it's
OK to kill a werewolf, it's OK to kill a human being infected with rabies. Worse in many ways,
because depending on the type of werewolf, they may pose no danger 80% of the time, and may even
cooperate in minimizing the danger they present the rest of the time.

 

[Bebop]

No matter what you do, your taking a life. It doesn't matter what species it is. If you end a sentient lifeforms life youve affected more than just yourself and the life form.

 

[Arakasi]

If it is both of the following I think it's just as bad:
1. Not a danger to people.
2. A person (by the definition of 'A rational and self consious being')

 

[LongAndShort]

Yeah definitely just as bad morally.
To believe that it is a lesser crime to kill a sentient, self-conscious being is... not racist. That's not the right word, but something similar. I'll try and think of it and get back to you.