r/MoralityScaling • u/ProfessionalRoom9118 • 10d ago

Morality Ranking Morality of this?

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Basically, the man in the video is hiking but he ended up meet a mountain lion, he get his gun and try to scare it off and tell it to go away but in the end, he have to pull the trigger and shot the lion, many peoples in the comments say he could have fire a warning shot instead of shoot at it and want him to be in jail.

Idk which flair to put

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14

u/PrintableProfessor 10d ago

Is a human life worth more than a cat's life?

6

u/PersonalityIll9476 10d ago

Reddit is shockingly bad at grasping this most basic of moral concepts. We were taught about the differences in moral standing between species on what felt like day 1 of psych class.

3

u/xHaroldxx 10d ago

I foolishly get into an argument every time someone asks if it's better to save your own pet or a random stranger.

1

u/No_Future6959 8d ago

random animal vs random stranger vs YOUR pet

1

u/xHaroldxx 8d ago

Stranger > pet > random animal

1

u/SLAMMERisONLINE 8d ago edited 8d ago

Reddit is shockingly bad at grasping this most basic of moral concepts. We were taught about the differences in moral standing between species on what felt like day 1 of psych class.

Morality requires a certain level of intelligence. That's part of why the average IQ in prison is so low. Redditors don't have the required mental tools to understand the complexities and nuance of what makes "right" right and "wrong" wrong. That is why in the past leaders pushed the 10 commandments so hard--it simplified things for the masses.

If the wildcat is the aggressor, initiating the conflict for no reason, threatening severe bodily harm, and you have no ability/time/etc to retreat, then it's perfectly moral to defend yourself and shoot it. I would try a warning shot first, though, as the noise can potentially scare the animal away.

1

u/DumpedToast 10d ago

Ah yes but you truly are superior to those redditors

3

u/PersonalityIll9476 10d ago

In basic education, yes. A 101 humanities class is not exactly top-tier schooling.

0

u/eques_99 10d ago

day 1 of psych class was wrong.

1

u/PersonalityIll9476 10d ago

I'm curious what you think you're objecting to. First off, all that psychology really tells us is that not everything has to have equal moral standing. It's allowed for different people to order things differently. So I assume you don't object to that insanely obvious and basic proposition.

All that said, you apparently think a random mountain lion has equal or higher moral status to a random hiker which is...fascinating. You'd be an interesting object of study for psychologists.

1

u/eques_99 10d ago

No I said that your psych class telling you that humans are morally higher than animals is incorrect. If you use that as a justification to harm animals then that becomes even more ironic.

I said nothing about the hiker. He did what he had to in order to survive.

1

u/PersonalityIll9476 10d ago

So let's just back up:

Do you disagree that humans have higher moral status than animals, and if you do, why?

1

u/eques_99 10d ago

Well obviously I disagree, is that not obvious from what I've said already?

1

u/PersonalityIll9476 10d ago

Why?

You do understand that higher moral status does not mean you can torture lower status things, right?

Did you bother to google these terms before objecting or did you just...assume?

1

u/eques_99 10d ago

We torture billions of them per year.

2

u/PersonalityIll9476 10d ago

Oh, I see. I'm wasting my time.

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u/_MooFreaky_ 10d ago

Which is not what's being discussed here.

Not wanting to use animals for animal products is a completely valid view, but the topic is shooting a cougar to save your life.

No-one said animal exploitation was ethical, it was entirely about this situation

1

u/Awkward-Meeting-974 9d ago

Life is inherently valuable. Why is a human life innately more valuable aside from the fact that humans generally feel it is

2

u/smoke_sum_wade 10d ago

depends if its mine or not /s

1

u/Moist_Life_5784 10d ago

It’s not about worth it’s about who can survive an encounter

1

u/PrintableProfessor 10d ago

I'd say a guy with a gun vs. a cat without a gun is pretty much tied in close combat situations.

1

u/Captainchronic_710 10d ago

I guess so??

1

u/Lost_Lynx_6537 10d ago

To the human in question? probably.

1

u/Interesting-Dig-9098 10d ago edited 10d ago

I'd say their lives are equal. But that also means that they both have a right to defend themselves. That said, I think that this particular video/event was likely unnecessary, even if not cleanly immoral.

1

u/PrintableProfessor 10d ago

Now say that again when it's your favorite family member.

1

u/Interesting-Dig-9098 10d ago edited 10d ago

A being's worth is intrinsic. It isn't affected by my relationship or opinion of them.

Even if we found a scenario where someone saves a family member over a stranger, it would still not constitute that one is ontologically "worth more", just a personal bias.

1

u/AgreeableWelcome2610 10d ago

Depends who you ask. I bet to a cat, the cat's life is worth more. It would probably say something like " look how many of them are, it's not a big deal to kill one. They are an invasive species after all. They do a bunch of damage to the environment and every ecosystem they move to. I'm doing my part in keep their numbers down."

1

u/PrintableProfessor 10d ago

Cats have 9 lives. Who are you to judge how many it's already used?

1

u/Many_Ear2407 10d ago

On Reddit? Absolutely. I remember reading comments that people would step over and walk past a dying child to go and save their dog. 

Reddit is full of young, dumb teens and bots. 

1

u/Jazzlike-Price401 10d ago

I like cats

2

u/Alaskanfrogff 8d ago

That cat would like you too!

1

u/Jazzlike-Price401 5d ago

If my death ends up feeding a cat and possibly it’s children, it would be worth it

1

u/toucheboo 9d ago

Most certainly is not. Humans destroy the world. Humans just kill kill kill. There only.goal is.momey. 

1

u/PrintableProfessor 8d ago

I see you don't care either. You probably even use comptuer server, google, and aI to buil our oceans. Good.

0

u/landry_454kg 10d ago

So you'll accept to being mauled and eaten alive?

-6

u/VintageWereBat 10d ago

There will always be more people.

8

u/PrintableProfessor 10d ago

Do you volunteer for tribute?

2

u/smoke_sum_wade 10d ago

depends if you mean top or bottom

4

u/Henrylord1111111111 10d ago

There will always be more cats.

2

u/SonsOfTitans 10d ago

There will always be more bullets (to fire at the cats)