[Vegan Examiner]
That humans are supposedly "superior" to animals is a common bland
moral argument for the exploitation of animals. However the idea of
"superiority" is a vague and subjectively biased term. What does it
mean to be a superior species if we are such to animals?
Brain size?
A popular myth of neurobiology is that the size of the brain of a
species correlates with the intelligence of the species. This myth
can easily be brought to criticism by the fact our neanderthal
ancestors and elephants have much larger brains than we. In fact, see
the table below to understand just how diverse brain sizes can be
among supposedly "inferior" animals. ...
...
The point is that a egotistical complex of "superiority" does not make
for a sufficient moral argument against the imperative to free animals
from exploitation. The consumption of animals and animal products is
not necessary for survival, and, as opposed to popular belief, did not
account for a significant proportion of calories in our hominid
ancestors. Some ancient civilizations actually lived for centuries on
incidentally vegan diets. Imagine the difficulty of harvesting
animals in a preagrarian society versus today. Only in some
settlements but not other could this be efficient.
...
No matter how superior you may believe animals are to humans, no
animal suffers more intelligently than another. For this reason, the
humble conclusion must begin with a transition to a vegan diet--for
the animals, human beings, and the Earth.
--
full story:
http://www.examiner.com/x-4198-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m7d1-Are-humans-superior-to-a\
nimals?cid=exrss-Vegan-Examiner
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