The irrationality of speciesism
Yesterday I received a link to this post by Jeffrey Friedman, in which he writes:
"Nationalism, however, is just as irrational as xenophobia. One’s physical residence vis-à-vis a line on a map has no bearing on one’s humanity."
Since this blog only deals with manatees, I can only answer in that context, but I can say in that arena Friedman is surely correct. I have frequently noticed that manatees only care for manatee babies, as if being a manatee or not had any bearing on one's status as a living creature! Not only that, the situation is even worse: manatees tend to only care for their own babies, at the expense of caring for the babies of other manatees! What irrationality!
But Friedman can lead them by example, demonstrating how he has spent just as much effort feeding and educating children around the world, whom he doesn't know at all, as he has on his own children. After all, whether or not one is Jeffrey Friedman's child has no bearing on one's humanity! (I actually don't know whether Friedman has children, but if he does, and I am sure he has not devoted one iota more attention to them than he has to the other 2 billion children in the world.)
"Nationalism, however, is just as irrational as xenophobia. One’s physical residence vis-à-vis a line on a map has no bearing on one’s humanity."
Since this blog only deals with manatees, I can only answer in that context, but I can say in that arena Friedman is surely correct. I have frequently noticed that manatees only care for manatee babies, as if being a manatee or not had any bearing on one's status as a living creature! Not only that, the situation is even worse: manatees tend to only care for their own babies, at the expense of caring for the babies of other manatees! What irrationality!
But Friedman can lead them by example, demonstrating how he has spent just as much effort feeding and educating children around the world, whom he doesn't know at all, as he has on his own children. After all, whether or not one is Jeffrey Friedman's child has no bearing on one's humanity! (I actually don't know whether Friedman has children, but if he does, and I am sure he has not devoted one iota more attention to them than he has to the other 2 billion children in the world.)
I like the colours.
ReplyDeleteAs if nationalism was about nations rather than who is on top. It is patriotism that concerns itself with lines on maps.
ReplyDeleteAhem: Friedman DEFINED what he meant by nationalism in his piece. In discussing his piece, we should use HIS definition.
DeleteDo manatees feel more sympathy toward manatees who they have never met but who live in the same sector of the ocean as them than manatees who they have never met but who live in a different sector of the ocean ?
DeleteYup!
DeleteDear Gene,
ReplyDeleteYou might find interesting (I hope) these two quotes from the French Bertrand de Jouvenel, in Bertrand de Jouvenel, in his "De la Souveraineté", 1955 sequel of his On Power. From éditions Th. Génin , librairie de Médicis.
Page 151
Il est clair que les actions humaines sont fondées sur la confiance en autrui. La condition de l'homme serait misérable, et, pour mieux dire, il ne serait même pas devenu homme, s'il lui fallait à chaque instant être en garde contre les actions imprévisibles de tout autre homme. Notre progrès vers et dans « l'état d'homme » suppose que nous vivions au sein d'un cercle de paix et d'amitié, non seulement ne nous attendant point aux attaques mais escomptant des secours éventuels.
Page 152
La conduite régulière et prévisible de ces autres, et la possibilité d'escompter leurs réactions avec une très faible chance d'erreur, forment les bases de tout calcul particulier. Presqu'aucun calcul individuel ne pourrait être formé, si la conduite et l'attitude des autres présentaient à mes yeux un très haut degré d'incertitude. Le miracle social consiste précisément en ceci que mes calculs, faisant intervenir un très grand nombre d'agents libres, peuvent être menés comme s'il ne s'agissait pas d'agents libres : en soi mobiles, ils me présentent pourtant des points fixes sur lesquels articuler mon action. L'état social peut être caractérisé par l'étendue de mes certitudes quant aux autres.
L'étranger est synonyme d'ennemi, hostis, comme agent imprévisible. Imprévisible parce qu'il n'est point partie à notre ligue d'amitié, parce que ses usages propres et ses réactions probables ne se sont pas connus, enfin et surtout parce que je n'ai point de garant de sa conduite.
L'autorité publique de mon groupe est en effet garante à mon endroit des obligations que je connais à ses ressortissants et sur lesquelles je me fonde. Elle ne peut évidemment pas m'assurer la bonne fin de mes entreprises quelconques, mais elle doit m'assurer des bases certaines pour la conception de ces entreprises. Ces bases se trouvent dans les obligations dont les membres sont tenus et auxquelles ils doivent se montrer fidèles.
The whole chapter on social friendship is interesting, pp. 163-182.
Off topic but a suggestion for your blog roll . http://www.monkeyspit.net/sites/manatee/recipes.html
ReplyDeleteA specious argument!
ReplyDelete