SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Right Wing Extremist Thread
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: Father Terrence who wrote (13187)7/27/2001 1:03:57 PM
From: TimF  Read Replies (1) of 59480
 
If I added selective DNA strings to a chimpanzee, enough to boost its cognitive thought (because it has been proven chimpanzees do have, to some degree, cognitive thought), would that make it human? Would it have rights? Would killing it be murder?

You mean if you geneticially enginered chimpanzees to have human or near human levels of thought and sentience? Then it would not be human but it would be a non-human person. Killing it would be the moral equivilent of murder. You could argue it is technically not murder depending on how you define murder.

dictionary.com
mur·der (mûrdr)
n.

1.The unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice.
2.Slang. Something that is very uncomfortable, difficult, or hazardous: The rush hour traffic is murder.
3.A flock of crows. See Synonyms at flock1.

Even by definition one it would not be the killing of one human by another, and it may be unlawful but then only because of endangered species laws or cruelty to animals laws. But it would be morally equivilent to murder and IMO should be reconized as murder should such a situation actually arise. This recognition would require a change in current laws. I don't think someone should be prosecuted for murder abscent such a legal change, but I would be pushing for the legal change if we started to see chimpanzees that had these cognitive abilities.

Tim
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News