Topic: The more intelligent the species, the more evil it is?
Anonymous A started this discussion 3 weeks ago #16,661
I was watching Nova the other night and they did a special on how smart some animals are.
What really fascinated me was the dolphins, but I heard there was a dark side to them creatures.
Like they'd actually rape female dolphins and kill their own young. They even engage in homosexuality, evil by some standards.
Does this mean the more intelligent the species is, the more evil it becomes?
Is intelligence a curse of evolution than a blessing?
What really fascinated me was the dolphins, but I heard there was a dark side to them creatures.
Like they'd actually rape female dolphins and kill their own young. They even engage in homosexuality, evil by some standards.
Does this mean the more intelligent the species is, the more evil it becomes?
Is intelligence a curse of evolution than a blessing?
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 2 minutes later[^] [v] #285,269
More capacity for evil, not inherently evil.
anorak !HFvB2cixM. joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 48 seconds later, 2 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #285,271
Anonymous D joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 16 seconds later, 3 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #285,272
This is part of the reason octopuses scare me.
Anonymous E joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 8 minutes later, 11 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #285,276
Raping is something that happens in every specie, though.
squeegee !hbZVTk6JYc joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 18 minutes later, 30 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #285,287
what is evil?
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 3 weeks ago, 1 minute later, 31 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #285,288
@previous
What is love?
What is love?
Anonymous D replied with this 3 weeks ago, 1 minute later, 32 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #285,290
@previous
Baby don't hurt me!
Baby don't hurt me!
Anonymous E replied with this 3 weeks ago, 3 minutes later, 35 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #285,291
@previous
Hit Me Baby, One More Time
Hit Me Baby, One More Time
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 3 weeks ago, 1 hour later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #285,307
@285,276
There are differences between mating and raping.
There are differences between mating and raping.
Anonymous G joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 2 hours later, 4 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,355
@previous
and both happens in every species
and both happens in every species
Anonymous H joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 7 minutes later, 4 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,363
Wait, I don't think that applies. Never mind.
(Edited 22 seconds later.)
Anonymous I joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 2 hours later, 6 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,398
Jews
dw !AIy/L67q.s joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 8 hours later, 14 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,466
@285,269
you are so wise killer letuce im going to quote you now
you are so wise killer letuce im going to quote you now
dw !AIy/L67q.s double-posted this 3 weeks ago, 3 hours later, 18 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,509
Broseph !!fxnDb+Ve4 joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 30 minutes later, 18 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,528
What about viruses? They're pretty evil, aren't they?
(Edited 11 seconds later.)
Anonymous L joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 1 hour later, 20 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,593
I would imagine people who do worse in school, or have less "intelligence," would be more likely to become criminals. There are obviously other measures of evil than criminality, but I feel this is worth considering.
One could say that as an animal becomes smarter its capacity to do evil increases, but so too does its capacity to do good. It's just a matter of its sentience and understanding of "what happens if I do this."
One could say that as an animal becomes smarter its capacity to do evil increases, but so too does its capacity to do good. It's just a matter of its sentience and understanding of "what happens if I do this."
Rainbow !DASHqGnDdc joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 16 minutes later, 20 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,597
@previous
> I would imagine people who do worse in school, or have less "intelligence," would be more likely to become criminals.
They're more likely to become mooks and prisoners I agree, but I think that all the really successful ones are smart.
> I would imagine people who do worse in school, or have less "intelligence," would be more likely to become criminals.
They're more likely to become mooks and prisoners I agree, but I think that all the really successful ones are smart.
anorak !HFvB2cixM. replied with this 3 weeks ago, 34 minutes later, 21 hours after the original post[^] [v] #285,603
@285,528
Viruses aren't sentient, therefore they can't be evil.
Viruses aren't sentient, therefore they can't be evil.
Broseph !!fxnDb+Ve4 replied with this 3 weeks ago, 3 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #285,629
@previous
So you're saying the harm they cause alone, and the means by which they do it, aren't enough to make them evil. It's the intention of a sentient creature that makes that creature evil. That means that creatures that are more aware of what they're doing are more evil. You could also say the same thing about the concept of good. A creature that does good isn't really good unless it has good intentions and understands why what it's doing is good. So it's not really fair to say that smarter creatures are inherently more evil, they just have a greater potential for evil because of their awareness, but they have have an equal potential for good that lower creatures do not have.
So, it's more accurate to say that more intelligent creatures, as moral agents, have more moral responsibility, while less intelligent creatures, having less moral agency, have less moral responsibility and are less accountable for their action. So it's the accountability that increases with intelligence, not the actual harm done.
So you're saying the harm they cause alone, and the means by which they do it, aren't enough to make them evil. It's the intention of a sentient creature that makes that creature evil. That means that creatures that are more aware of what they're doing are more evil. You could also say the same thing about the concept of good. A creature that does good isn't really good unless it has good intentions and understands why what it's doing is good. So it's not really fair to say that smarter creatures are inherently more evil, they just have a greater potential for evil because of their awareness, but they have have an equal potential for good that lower creatures do not have.
So, it's more accurate to say that more intelligent creatures, as moral agents, have more moral responsibility, while less intelligent creatures, having less moral agency, have less moral responsibility and are less accountable for their action. So it's the accountability that increases with intelligence, not the actual harm done.
anorak !HFvB2cixM. replied with this 3 weeks ago, 55 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #285,638
@previous
Yes, they cause harm, but they don't have the capacity to intend to cause harm.
Yes, they cause harm, but they don't have the capacity to intend to cause harm.
Rainbow !DASHqGnDdc replied with this 3 weeks ago, 1 minute later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #285,639
anorak !HFvB2cixM. replied with this 3 weeks ago, 3 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #285,642
Rainbow !DASHqGnDdc replied with this 3 weeks ago, 5 minutes later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #285,645
Anonymous N joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 1 day later, 2 days after the original post[^] [v] #285,937
@OP
No, and "evil" is subjective. Many animals engage is coercive sex ("rape"), but I wouldn't call them evil.
Elephants are intelligent and self-aware, they're also kind, compassionate, social animals that display a wide range of altruistic behavior.
No, and "evil" is subjective. Many animals engage is coercive sex ("rape"), but I wouldn't call them evil.
Elephants are intelligent and self-aware, they're also kind, compassionate, social animals that display a wide range of altruistic behavior.
(Edited 1 minute later.)
Anonymous N double-posted this 3 weeks ago, 3 minutes later, 2 days after the original post[^] [v] #285,939
@285,269
> More capacity for evil, not inherently evil.
What makes you think an intelligent species has more capacity for evil than one of lesser intelligence? And how do you define "evil", bearing in mind you can't take human standards and apply them to animals?
> More capacity for evil, not inherently evil.
What makes you think an intelligent species has more capacity for evil than one of lesser intelligence? And how do you define "evil", bearing in mind you can't take human standards and apply them to animals?
(Edited 44 seconds later.)
Killer Lettuce !!iNo3FkiZx replied with this 3 weeks ago, 30 minutes later, 2 days after the original post[^] [v] #285,944
@previous
Statist decadence.
Statist decadence.
Anonymous N replied with this 3 weeks ago, 26 minutes later, 2 days after the original post[^] [v] #285,952
@previous
Ad hominem.
Ad hominem.