Hello everyone! Today I would like to present a thought experiment. Inspired by Douglas Adams The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, this may show where your morals lay. I will recreate it for the benfit of thise who havent read the book.
The year is in the future and Doug, Noel, and Adam walk into a steakhouse. Doug was the only one who has been here before, and Adam a vegetarian was way out of his element. "I guess ill just get a salad" he said smelling the meat and remembering how good it tastes. "You know me, I cant bring myself to eat meat anymore."
"Oh I wouldnt be so sure" Doug replied smiling, "this place is a bit different. Its super humane".
"Have you asked the animals?" Adam replied. Doug didnt say anything but his smile widened. They all sat down at the table and a waiter came up".
"Can I take your drink orders? And would you like to see the menu or meet the meat?" The waiter asked.
"Meet the meat" All three replied, though Adam and Noel were with questioning tones while Douglas was ordering. "Certainly" replied the waiter and off he went.
What came back doumbfounded Adam and Noel. It was a living cow that actually spoke to them, "Hello everyone! I am todays specialty. Can I interest you in some ribs? My rump also looks delicious."
(Source: pixabay)
"You talk!?" Said Noel
"Y...your ribs?" Adam added.
"Of course my ribs" the cow stated. "Im not at liberty to offer anyone elses. It is my lifes ambition to one day wind up on the dinner plate."
"Is this cow actually serving himself to us?" Noel whispered to Doug. "This is wrong, I cant eat a creature this intelligent.
'How is it wrong!?" Doug asked "you eat animals that probably dont want to be eaten all the time. Now we have one right here telling you it wants to be eaten."
"I agree with Noel" Adam spoke up "this is a living creature. I cant just eat it.
The cow was visibly saddened by the direction of the conversation. "Well it would be unfortunate if I couldnt interest you in any meat. We dont carry vegetables since people made a fuss over the same reasons and inability to speak up. Thats why scientistd genetically enginered an animal that could come right out and say they wanted to be eaten."
Noel and Adam sat there dumbstruck, unable to form an argument about why this was wrong. "Enough chat!" Noel ordered "Bring us 3 prime ribs"
The cow now obviously happy replied "an excellent choice sir, now please wait while I go and shoot myself. It will be very humane I assure you" he added with a side glance and smirk to Adam and Noel. When the human waiter returned with the food both Adam and Noel felt something was wrong, though they still couldnt figure out why.
Do you know what caused Adam and Noels moral unease?
Very interesting. I have not read "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" but I keep hearing about how much philosophy it contains throughout and how many interesting ideas and quandaries it puts forward.
I think the uneasiness that Adam and Noel feel comes from being faced with the creatures "being." Typically, we are not our own butchers. We do not do the "dirty work" of killing a live being. Someone else does that for us. We simply pick up a steak at the supermarket in a process that allows us to objectify the animal and allows us to largely remain ignorant to the fact that it is actually a once living creature that we are eating. Adam and Noel could no longer objectify the meat and so experienced the sobering effect of looking the animal in the eyes knowing that it was about to die.
Just my interpretation. Nice post.
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on the subject. How do you see this situation or how would you answer your own question?
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I really like your answer. Both of the characters objectified their food. Like you said Noel was your typical persom buying meat at a supermarket and never thinking of the animal.
Adam is also guilty of this, I imagine a salad wouldnt solve his unease after this encounter. He now finds himself guilty of his original argument is it humane to eat plants, and how can we know?
I would say they have been confronted with the idea that there are no real morals. Being confronted by this cows being has awoken them to the bitter fact that life eats life and opened the door for them to question the rest of their morals.
Edit: you should definitely read the books if you get the time. Its funny but still manages to be super deep, as well as being a unique and interesting story.
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Very interesting perspective. I never thought about how it could make us question all of our morals but certainly like the idea you are putting forward.
I'll have to pick up the book, sounds pretty good.
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