Animals have a moral sense

[Katinka Hesselink]

At last scientists are acknowledging that animals too are not led purely by survival, but by morals too. This is important, because it helps us keep morals as an important point of interest in our society. Luckily, the one advantage of this economic crisis is that it too helps reminds us what happens in human society when morals are no longer a guiding principle in an important minority.

Anyhow, here's the article Animals can tell right from wrong.

I do think it rather sad that we need to look at the animal kingdom to justify morality in among humans, but that's how it seems to be.

[Katinka Hesselink]

I know. I have no beef with evolution - I think the general idea is not only true, but also quite powerful, but the impact of it on society isn't altogether good.

[David Melik]

It is an fascinating article. The animal kingdom can help explain morality in humans, but I still think absolute truth can too. Of course it is not an idea that some people can understand easily. The article also should make people re-consider things like whether it is okay to eat animals. If they are moral beings then it is not too much different than eating a person.

The impact of the evolution idea is not good if it creates social Darwinism, but of course there are different ideas. I guess one has to combine evolution with those.

[Susan Thomas]

And, would animals work in labs to create humans with feet that glow neon green, and then be absolutely delighted when they had manipulated our genetic structure to pass that valuable trait on to our offspring? (See today's news if this sounds like science fiction.) It is the immorality of humans that astounds me.

[Joe Fulton]

Question,

Which animals will attack another being (animal or human) at the behest of a human?

Joe