Re: [APD] Philosophy and Plants

[David Aiken <daiken at iprimus_com.au>]

On 01/11/2005, at 2:47 AM, Jerry Baker wrote:

> Thomas Barr wrote:
>
>> Vegetarian plant murders. If you want to follow logic and ethics,  
>> I think it's wise to apply a general set of rules to all forms of  
>> life and give it equal respect.
>>
>
> While it certainly is possible that plants have some sort of  
> mechanism that allows them to experience something we might call  
> pain, I doubt it. They do not have brains or nervous systems as  
> other animals do.

Are  you sure that it takes a mammalian style brain and/or nervous  
system for the experience of pain or, more importantly, for an  
organism to be able to experience something?

Just because we know one way of doing this does not mean that way is  
the only way and nature has always seemed incredibly profligate to  
me. If there is an alternative way of allowing experience, I am sure  
it is functioning happily somewhere in an organism that would have as  
much difficulty accepting our 'meat consciousness' as you and many  
others have accepting the possibility of alternatives to it.

To fall back on Shakespeare: "There are more things in heaven and  
earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy".

None of the above proves that there is an alternative method, but our  
lack of knowledge of one is absolutely no proof or evidence  
whatsoever that one does not exist.

David Aiken


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