tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657344379515198783.post1306200768331512494..comments2023-11-05T02:19:13.411-05:00Comments on Airing of the Grievances: Debating Life (JM)Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12649848515867751444noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657344379515198783.post-36194010224173254942008-09-05T13:15:00.000-04:002008-09-05T13:15:00.000-04:00As usual, I agree with the essence of your message...As usual, I agree with the essence of your message. It's consistent with your point about an evolving social consensus that we don't throw mentally retarded infants off of cliffs, and we certainly shouldn't, but it doesn't mean that the Greeks or Romans (whichever it was, I don't recall) were more primitive than we were. <BR/><BR/>That would presuppose the idea of social progress, which, I think, neither of us buys into, as it would require accepting the premise that certain social realities are in some way objectively better than others and that "reality" as we perceive it is an immutable thing.<BR/><BR/>Your point about an evolving social consciousness is really also my point, that we haven't come to explicitly recognize why our reaction to an embryo is significantly different than our reaction to and feelings about a healthy newborn, though it is, if only as evidenced by the fact that a significant portion of the population can view an embryo as expendable. <BR/><BR/>Only within a highly idealistic frame of mind, and one that's most often learned rather than innate (though that doesn't show anything in particular), can one imagine that two cells are as valuable as a healthy baby or adult.<BR/><BR/>I only disagree with your intuition about people's feelings toward, say, the brain dead.<BR/><BR/>What of the anencephalic, for example? A creature born without a brain is not human, in my opinion. Yet there have been cases of people who have allowed perhaps millions of dollars to be spent on life support for a thing that has no chance of experiencing its life.<BR/><BR/>This, in a country where nearly half of us don't have health insurance, clearly takes resources away from those who can benefit from it more, since they can experience their lives.<BR/><BR/>I don't think most people are as sympathetic as you imagine, just that they're not allowed to say so. <BR/><BR/>This possibility also fits nicely with your point about emergent social realities, among which being PC is highly valued (though I know your sentiments to be genuine).<BR/><BR/>Cheers!<BR/>GAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com