Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

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 : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neocon who wrote (68764)	11/27/2002 1:41:50 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

However, the difference between mankind and the other animals is demonstrably of importance ---- to mankind. To what mankind? Over the course of human existence, millions, probably billions, of humans have lived and died without having any idea that porpoises were mammals and sharks were fish. The were born, got educated to the best of their society's ability at the time, got married, had children, ate, lived, loved, and died, all blissfully unaware of this difference, or perhaps even of the very existence of porpoises and mammals. Even today, hundreds of millions of people are probably unaware of the difference, and there is no evidence, IMO, that their lives would be in the least enriched if they were made aware of it. How, then, can you say this difference is demonstrably of importance to mankind? You certainly haven't demonstrated it to me. To certain subsets of mankind, certainly. To scientists. To skin or scuba divers. Perhaps to people appearing on Jeopardy or Who Wants to Be Millionaire. As for me, I'm aware of the difference, and was before you mentioned, but frankly it isn't important to me. I would care less if it turned out that porpoises were fish and sharks were mammals after all.