- Do ecosystems matter for their own sake, or do they only matter to the extent that they impact humans?
Overall ecosystems matter for their own sake, however, I think they are crucial when they start to impact humans. Basically, if the ecosystems are failing then society is also failing. I think the importance of ecosystems is underrated because a majority of humanity does not care to educate themselves about how significant it is towards their current lives and futures. However, if it is heard that lives are being affected due to poor conditions of the ecosystems, society will then start to worry. For example, global warming and pollution are all popular topics that concern society. However, I believe these specific topics are popular because they affect daily lives. For example global warming results in flooding or excessive snow which can prevent people from performing daily activities such as going to work therefore they care about the problem. Pollution is also another major topic that affects people because it puts their lives in danger by tampering the food people eat and the air people breathe. Ultimately, I personally think that ecosystems are important even when they are not affecting lives, however I believe society as a whole disagrees.
5. Do the pleasure and pain of non-human animals matter as much as the pleasure and pain of humans?
I am skeptical when it comes to the pain of non-human animals versus the pain of humans. I definitely think that the pain of non-human animals is important, however, I think the pain of humans is viewed as more important by society. I say this because humans can relate to humans more than humans can relate to animals. Although this is not true for all of society, I believe it is true for a majority. For example, animals are used to fulfill our daily needs such as food and clothing. We humans do not think twice when it comes to buying meat for dinner or buying a fur coat for the winter. This proves non-human animals pain is not that important to us. Another example to explain my theory is say a news broadcast shows live footage of a human being harmed, and then shows a live footage of an animal being harmed. I personally think people would be more concerned with the harmed human rather than the harmed animal because we can relate to their pain or imagine the pain they are in.
- Is my own life worth more than the lives of others, the same, or less?
In my opinion whether to think my life is worth more, worth less, or worth the same amount than others’ lives depends on what kind of person I am being compared to. I do think my life is extremely important. I say this because I have family and friends who affect my life and I also affect their lives. In a case where I would think my life is worth more than another person’s life would be if this person has no morals or righteousness. For a more specific example, if this person committed crimes and is unjust, I would definitely think my life is more important because compared to this person I contribute better things to society and I am a better person in society. In a case where I think my life would be worth less than another person’s life would be if I were to be unhappy with myself and not fully enjoying my life, whereas, the other person would be completely content and satisfied with their life. Lastly, to say my life is worth the same as another person’s life would be in a circumstance where we have similar lifestyles. For example, if we both are pleased with the lives we live regarding family, friends, and living conditions, I would assume the lives we live have the same value.
Hello Samantha, I am Gilberto. I think that the ecosystem and human systems are inherently intertwined. When one goes through trouble, the other reacts to it. Due to this I think we should focus more on creating a balance with each one. I feel society would disagree with you due to the lack of a strong enough science education in our country, not because they chose humans over the ecosystem willingly. I very much agree with your position regarding the pain and pleasure of non-human animals to humans. I agree with your last position. Importance of human life is indeed relative per person. An intellectual would have far more worth in society as a whole than a random gangster committing crime, though there is a lot of gray area in this topic. Interesting responses.
Link to my post: http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/01/31/module-3-gilberto-aponte-prats/
Samantha,
Your second response caught my eye. You discuss an animal getting harmed versus a human getting harmed and I am not quite sure that the public would care more about one and not the other. For example, my Facebook is covered with people sharing photos of shelter animals that need adopted. On the other hand, I do not think I have ever seen people discuss children that need adopted. While I agree with you that people do not bat an eye on eating meat, I think we have progressed to caring significantly about certain species of animals, such as dogs and I wonder whether the care will expand as nations develop further and further. Thanks for your thoughts.
Here is a link to my lesson 3 blog entry: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/31/lesson-3-karolina-powell/
Thanks,
Karolina
Good afternoon Samantha. Your post on question four was very true. I believe too that the ecosystem is a priority and if it should fail then we too will fail. Society as a whole does not usually think about something if it’s not directly affecting them. Now with that said I am not saying everyone thinks that way. But if society doesn’t feel the positive or negative effects of the ecosystem then it’s not a thought that comes to mind. I agree that the ecosystem is very important even when it’s not affecting our lives. If you would like to read my blog here is the link, http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/01/30/module-3-ethics-tenaya-mulvey/.