Poll: Would you kick a puppy?

[Mcmuffin]

I would never kick a dog, for some odd reason i actually cant even think of kicking a dog. im okay with kicking a human child, but a dog, nope. love puppys cant do it.

 

[cpu_hacker666]

Tell you what, Instead of kicking the puppy I would kick you square in the nuts and run off with your wallet, and as a bonus I'd jack the puppy too! Hypotheticly that is. ;D

 

[aaronobst]

No. And anyone who thinks animal abuse is cool or worth 5 measley bucks needs to get fucked

 

[Nifarious]

snip

Hm. Well, I suppose we can just agree to disagree on the nature of ethics, then. I've never read Levinas or Batialle and I don't particularly like Nietszche. He seems to miss the point of what ethics is about, to me.

I presume you're thinking of Beyond Good & Evil and/or The Genealogy of Morals. Those works have their place, but they're works of destruction. AntiChrist and Will to Power criticize morality/Xianity better. But his Gay Science is much much more about life. At least read that. His Zarathustra is as well, but it's poetic. To be honest, Nietzsche demands a very wholistic approach since his thoughts both develop quite a lot and demand contradiction. I was at least first presented Nietzsche in a similarly dismissive light, but I assure you that there is much more than meets the surface of your, say, typical liberal artsy slant.

Bataille's is a morality of excess, evil. If you aren't used to that sort of thing, reading his fiction will scar you. But his Guilty and On Nietzsche are important correlations to The Gay Science. I'm talking desert island books (and I'm not talking as someone who'd throw Harry Potter in that list!)

Levinas is the reason why ethics remains viable today. He's not an easy read, though. There's an excellent book out there that discusses both Nietzsche and Levinas together, their extreme differences and similarities. That more than anything would open these two up to you.

But I speak as an academic on my main project. You're of course free to take as much or as little from this as you like.

And since I'm on the subject of recommending books, Kelly Oliver's Animal Lessons is a very nice look at the relation between ethics and animals throughout academia.

Best
Nifarious

 

[Romidude]

Nope, but I'd kick the person who asked me in the head for free, then take the puppy into my custody...

I like this answer, very much.
People who think that cruelty and greed are just fine deserve this. Especially cruelty and greed towards animals that won't understand what is happening, that haven't done anything wrong.

Yeah, just realised my mistake. Wasn't thinking straight last night >_<

 

[Seanfall]

No I would not. A former... acquaintance of mine once entered my house and my dog greeted him by running up looking up and wagging his tail wanted to be petted. He said. "Dude get your dog away or I'm gonna kick him." I took one look at him, then smacked him on the back of the head hard enough for a resounding crack and told him if he did I'd not only kick him back I'd throw his ass out. He had no reason to say that, and I have no reason to kick a puppy. Here's a question...why is the guy offering money to kick a puppy? It's gotta be a trick...there's some cop or something hiding out waiting to arrest the guy.

 

[Seanfall]

I would never kick a dog, for some odd reason i actually cant even think of kicking a dog. im okay with kicking a human child, but a dog, nope. love puppys cant do it.

Same here...a driving instructor once put it to us that if he had to choose between hitting a dog or a kid he'd hit the dog. After going threw different scenarios with him for about 10 minutes to avoid hitting either I finally yelled. "You know what...I'd run over the kid. Cause why is a kid even in the street in the first place? His parents might not care, is he the one that chased the dog? Maybe he's a budding serial killer. And hey...I LIKE dogs." ...kinda...got a lot of odd stares that day.

 

[DesertMummy]

Never. And this is how I imagine the scene for people who say they would, "Dude, like its just totally like a dog! I want my moneyez!!!
*sees the puppy*
oh look at da puuuuupppy !!

 

[rmb1983]

need to think of some sound logic as to how that person's survival is really worth that animal's livelihood.

a persons life is always and shall always be worth more then a stupid animals (you have made me hate dogs more then I ever have before)

1) You're taking the quote out of context. I'm specifying that $5 or $15 is too trivial a sum of money to reasonably amount to being necessary to someone's survival. In any case, that was not the question posed to begin with.
2) You're now doing precisely what you were accusing others of, in the first place. You're letting sentimentality cloud your judgement. There is no logical reason to hurt this animal, the hypothetical is simply that someone offers you money to do so. Love or hate dogs, this particular puppy has done nothing to deserve severe injury for nominal monetary gain. Placing more value on one life than another is showing bias; calling someone a hypocrite then being one yourself defeats all logic you could present (good or otherwise).

my main reason for saying this it to watch the disrespect/hatred people have for humanity its sad really.

No one here is showing a disrespect for humanity; simply shunning hypothetical people who would hold so little value over another's life/safety (human or animal non-exclusive).

 

[Brandon237]

Okay, you have quoted that entirely wrong, you put MY statement in his quote! Please, fix it naow, I make good argument, you bold it, and THEN put it in the wrong person's quote. Thank-you for acknowledging what I said, but PLEASE fix it, I feel desecrated an insulted when this happens.

Sorry to sound irritated, But I just cannot stand this other person's rather... evil view. And thank-you for recognising that, I'm just... irritated by said AlexNora right now.

Ah, sorry about that. Had to fiddle around with the quotes because it chopped the relevant part I was aiming for due to there being too much. I seem to have gotten the tags mixed; my apologies.

Consider it fixed.

Okay, thanks, sorry for the attitude
I know what those tags can be like, especially when I'm tired >.<

 

[Brandon237]

I really don't care that you think animals have intelligence (witch they don't they have instinct nothing more)but by your logic even the ones we eat should have intelligence and killing them should be wrong. no its not for food its for money think about all the food that goes to waste in the US. you gonna cry about that to? kicking a dog is like kicking a brick the only reason you might not do it is because you could hurt your foot. don't let the cuteness of a puppy stir up your emotions and cloud your logic.(and yes I do think puppy's are cute)you clearly place the idea of a dog higher then me, and instead of using logic to try and win your argument you go around trying to insulting/hurt me. make better choices become a wise person kill the animals save the babies!

Have you ever worked with animals? have you had pets and actually paid attention to them? If you have then you would know that they are capable of intelligence and more than just instinct. My parents are vets and I have been surrounded by animals my whole life, I KNOW first-hand that they are not stupid. They observe, they learn, they think, they feel. I agree, not to the degree humans do, but that does not make them devoid of intelligence.

Yes, the ones we eat can be intelligent, but they are killed for food, for something we need to survive, and they would not be there if we did not need them for food. Cows and pigs would not exist in the numbers they do were it not for us using them for food.

But when an animal is hurt or killed when it is not necessary, then my blood boils, it is unnecessary suffering and pain on the part of a creature that has done NOTHING to you. Especially a dog, they are raised as friends and family among people, and then out of the blue it gets this treatment because some jerk wants $15? That is sick.

Human beings are creatures of emotion. Any one who never makes a decision based on emotion is either still an infant or a psychopath. People who will do anything for their own gain without considering the pain the cause are widely considered to be psychopathic.

I place the dog higher than you because the dog didn't give you permanent injury for $15 dollars. It has no malicious intent, no greed, you do. Based on that, who should I put higher on the ladder? You have also implied that I am not using logic, which is insulting, and possibly true: I am being caring, not cold and logical, because that is what makes a decent person, being caring and having a little thing called empathy. You know, understanding the pain of other's and that they indeed do feel it and do suffer, animals included.

Causing suffering for your own good is greed. Causing suffering that is not necessary is cruelty. Causing suffering and not caring, not even thinking of the sufferer as a being deserving anything better is borderline evil.
Should I really think of you, someone who is saying that given this situation, they would be cruel, greedy and evil over a puppy that is innocent and has done nothing wrong to you?

make better choices become a wise person kill the animals save the babies!

Now you are just trolling me.

yes my grandma has five dogs. when I was little we had a dog to.

my main reason for saying this it to watch the disrespect/hatred people have for humanity its sad really.

And you did NOT notice that they indeed did think and feel? That they were creatures that could be good friends and family, that weren't just useless mongrels that you should abuse? You clearly were not paying attention.

I hate/disrespect humanity because of people who cause unnecessary suffering with no sense of what they are doing, who do not acknowledge that other life has a place here on Earth and that we really aren't all that important. Animals could live without us, not so much the other way around. If every human on Earth died at the same time, the animal world would continue, if every animal died at the same time, we would come pretty close to extinction and the environment would fall to pieces.

We are not needed on Earth, we are the cherry on top, there for the sake of it. Now get that into your head, and understand that animals deserve care and respect too. Also, people who refuse to see the value of other people and animals, who do not have any sympathy for something less intelligent, but equally as, if not more important than themselves do NOT deserve said respect.

 

[AlexNora]

I really don't care that you think animals have intelligence (witch they don't they have instinct nothing more)but by your logic even the ones we eat should have intelligence and killing them should be wrong. no its not for food its for money think about all the food that goes to waste in the US. you gonna cry about that to? kicking a dog is like kicking a brick the only reason you might not do it is because you could hurt your foot. don't let the cuteness of a puppy stir up your emotions and cloud your logic.(and yes I do think puppy's are cute)you clearly place the idea of a dog higher then me, and instead of using logic to try and win your argument you go around trying to insulting/hurt me. make better choices become a wise person kill the animals save the babies!

Have you ever worked with animals? have you had pets and actually paid attention to them? If you have then you would know that they are capable of intelligence and more than just instinct. My parents are vets and I have been surrounded by animals my whole life, I KNOW first-hand that they are not stupid. They observe, they learn, they think, they feel. I agree, not to the degree humans do, but that does not make them devoid of intelligence.

Yes, the ones we eat can be intelligent, but they are killed for food, for something we need to survive, and they would not be there if we did not need them for food. Cows and pigs would not exist in the numbers they do were it not for us using them for food.

But when an animal is hurt or killed when it is not necessary, then my blood boils, it is unnecessary suffering and pain on the part of a creature that has done NOTHING to you. Especially a dog, they are raised as friends and family among people, and then out of the blue it gets this treatment because some jerk wants $15? That is sick.

Human beings are creatures of emotion. Any one who never makes a decision based on emotion is either still an infant or a psychopath. People who will do anything for their own gain without considering the pain the cause are widely considered to be psychopathic.

I place the dog higher than you because the dog didn't give you permanent injury for $15 dollars. It has no malicious intent, no greed, you do. Based on that, who should I put higher on the ladder? You have also implied that I am not using logic, which is insulting, and possibly true: I am being caring, not cold and logical, because that is what makes a decent person, being caring and having a little thing called empathy. You know, understanding the pain of other's and that they indeed do feel it and do suffer, animals included.

Causing suffering for your own good is greed. Causing suffering that is not necessary is cruelty. Causing suffering and not caring, not even thinking of the sufferer as a being deserving anything better is borderline evil.
Should I really think of you, someone who is saying that given this situation, they would be cruel, greedy and evil over a puppy that is innocent and has done nothing wrong to you?

make better choices become a wise person kill the animals save the babies!

Now you are just trolling me.

yes my grandma has five dogs. when I was little we had a dog to.

my main reason for saying this it to watch the disrespect/hatred people have for humanity its sad really.

And you did NOT notice that they indeed did think and feel? That they were creatures that could be good friends and family, that weren't just useless mongrels that you should abuse? You clearly were not paying attention.

I hate/disrespect humanity because of people who cause unnecessary suffering with no sense of what they are doing, who do not acknowledge that other life has a place here on Earth and that we really aren't all that important. Animals could live without us, not so much the other way around. If every human on Earth died at the same time, the animal world would continue, if every animal died at the same time, we would come pretty close to extinction and the environment would fall to pieces.

We are not needed on Earth, we are the cherry on top, there for the sake of it. Now get that into your head, and understand that animals deserve care and respect too. Also, people who refuse to see the value of other people and animals, who do not have any sympathy for something less intelligent, but equally as, if not more important than themselves do NOT deserve said respect.

blah blah blah i love dogs more then people. silly silly brandon

 

[Aidinthel]

Even in the absence of any consequences to myself, I don't think I could kick a puppy for any amount of money. For clarification, that isn't a rational "It's a thinking, feeling creature." stance. My rational mind quickly concludes that it's an animal I have no connection to and I don't really care what happens to it. It's just that my conscience is much more powerful than my rational mind and it cares very much. I'm not sure where that puts me.

Edit: Oh, wait. You do have a poll option for that. I'm impressed.

 

[Blastinburn]

Can I hug it instead (giving up the money in the process), so long as it's a nice puppy.

(I specify nice puppy because I had my hand bitten by a small dog, when I was little, and visiting Russia, TWICE, by the same dog.)

 

[Dapsen]

I am torn between the "no" reasons.
I just dont wanna kick the puppy, okay?

 

[Trololo Punk]

No, for one its only $5,
2. Its a puppy? come on, look at that face.

 

[Brandon237]

I really don't care that you think animals have intelligence (witch they don't they have instinct nothing more)but by your logic even the ones we eat should have intelligence and killing them should be wrong. no its not for food its for money think about all the food that goes to waste in the US. you gonna cry about that to? kicking a dog is like kicking a brick the only reason you might not do it is because you could hurt your foot. don't let the cuteness of a puppy stir up your emotions and cloud your logic.(and yes I do think puppy's are cute)you clearly place the idea of a dog higher then me, and instead of using logic to try and win your argument you go around trying to insulting/hurt me. make better choices become a wise person kill the animals save the babies!

Have you ever worked with animals? have you had pets and actually paid attention to them? If you have then you would know that they are capable of intelligence and more than just instinct. My parents are vets and I have been surrounded by animals my whole life, I KNOW first-hand that they are not stupid. They observe, they learn, they think, they feel. I agree, not to the degree humans do, but that does not make them devoid of intelligence.

Yes, the ones we eat can be intelligent, but they are killed for food, for something we need to survive, and they would not be there if we did not need them for food. Cows and pigs would not exist in the numbers they do were it not for us using them for food.

But when an animal is hurt or killed when it is not necessary, then my blood boils, it is unnecessary suffering and pain on the part of a creature that has done NOTHING to you. Especially a dog, they are raised as friends and family among people, and then out of the blue it gets this treatment because some jerk wants $15? That is sick.

Human beings are creatures of emotion. Any one who never makes a decision based on emotion is either still an infant or a psychopath. People who will do anything for their own gain without considering the pain the cause are widely considered to be psychopathic.

I place the dog higher than you because the dog didn't give you permanent injury for $15 dollars. It has no malicious intent, no greed, you do. Based on that, who should I put higher on the ladder? You have also implied that I am not using logic, which is insulting, and possibly true: I am being caring, not cold and logical, because that is what makes a decent person, being caring and having a little thing called empathy. You know, understanding the pain of other's and that they indeed do feel it and do suffer, animals included.

Causing suffering for your own good is greed. Causing suffering that is not necessary is cruelty. Causing suffering and not caring, not even thinking of the sufferer as a being deserving anything better is borderline evil.
Should I really think of you, someone who is saying that given this situation, they would be cruel, greedy and evil over a puppy that is innocent and has done nothing wrong to you?

make better choices become a wise person kill the animals save the babies!

Now you are just trolling me.

yes my grandma has five dogs. when I was little we had a dog to.

my main reason for saying this it to watch the disrespect/hatred people have for humanity its sad really.

And you did NOT notice that they indeed did think and feel? That they were creatures that could be good friends and family, that weren't just useless mongrels that you should abuse? You clearly were not paying attention.

I hate/disrespect humanity because of people who cause unnecessary suffering with no sense of what they are doing, who do not acknowledge that other life has a place here on Earth and that we really aren't all that important. Animals could live without us, not so much the other way around. If every human on Earth died at the same time, the animal world would continue, if every animal died at the same time, we would come pretty close to extinction and the environment would fall to pieces.

We are not needed on Earth, we are the cherry on top, there for the sake of it. Now get that into your head, and understand that animals deserve care and respect too. Also, people who refuse to see the value of other people and animals, who do not have any sympathy for something less intelligent, but equally as, if not more important than themselves do NOT deserve said respect.

blah blah blah i love dogs more then people. silly silly brandon

Wow, informative, clever argument that addresses my points in great detail. I am incredibly... humbled.

I love dogs more than people who have no sense of empathy, I will admit that, but more than good people? No. But I don't have discussions like these with good, caring and understanding people.