Why is cannibalism morally wrong?

[MrRoper]

I thought cannibals shake after eating too much human meat.




Though that could just be from 'The Book of Eli'...

I think the Book Of Eli is using the disease Kuru to draw inspiration:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_(disease)

It is also thought that cannibalism was quite common in our distant past:

http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2003/04/0410_030410_cannibal.html

This raises an interesting question for me, as I always held the opinion that we have an innate mechanism through thousands of years of evolution so that we dont wipe our own species out by eating each other!

 

[mranderson]

Asked about placentophagia but didn't get any replies.

 

[smelly_legend]

So we can eat placenta or dead people to say alive.

 

[platypus]

It's not that immoral is it? How many people go out on the "lash" and then have a donner kebab*?




*Since this is GD I feel the need to point out that my misspelling is intentional, and that I wonder how many people will get this reference without using Google/Wiki .

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

Enemy spotted in the mid-range!

 

[norm]

Are you saying homosexuality is on par with cannibalism, incest and large scale genocide?

No merely making light of Godwin's Law.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

 

[plasmahal]

Was just thinking, why is cannibalism actually morally wrong?

Anyhow putting religion aside, surely it's just a waste of meat, considering the mass food shortages around the world?

Where is your official source to substantiate the statement of mass world shortages?

Recent studies show that around 50% of food produced in the world goes to waste, with India being one of the worst.

There's plenty of food but half of it is wasted....

http://fullfact.org/factchecks/almost_half_world_UK_food_wasted-28702

Quote from researcher:

it is estimated that
30–50% (or 1.2–2 billion
tonnes) of all
food produced on
the planet is lost
before reaching a
human stomach.
dr. tim fox
ceng fimeche
head of energy
& environment, imeche

 

[GinG]

You're rather conveniently glossing over the fact that Armin Meiwes also killed the man, you cannot legally consent to death except in very limited circumstances i.e. in a recognised centre for euthanasia and the law of the country must permit it in the first place. It's also worth pointing out that in those limited circumstances the person to administer the lethal dose usually has to be the person wishing to die - that is or was the case in regard to the most famous centre which would be Dignitas in Switzerland.

Not incidentally but Armin Meiwes wasn't actually convicted of cannabalism - I don't even know if that is an extant crime in Germany. He was however convicted of manslaughter which was then upgraded to murder at a retrial when the argument was accepted that his victim couldn't have given consent.

Homosexuality and cannabalism share basically nothing in common apart from the fact that you would appear to disagree with both of them, that doesn't make a good basis for an analogy.

 

[Edward78]

No, but would that even be morally wrong if both parties are consenting adults, with no pressure or dominant persons?

So you would do the love dance with your sister if she was ok with it???

 

[eyeofthetiger]

Was just thinking, why is cannibalism actually morally wrong?

If you're a person of religion, you could say and it is, against your religion.

Anyhow putting religion aside, surely it's just a waste of meat, considering the mass food shortages around the world?

It's perfectly natural, considering cannibalism is widely practised in the animal world.

There are no negative effects from eating human meat, as far as I know? You're not going to turn into some horrid mutated creature from the movies. It’s healthy and nutritious. I can’t see any medical reasons not too.

Only thing I can think of is permission. Surely once dead, who cares? Once dead does our body actually belong to us? We don’t ask animals for their permission when we eat them. That aside many people may actually voluntarily give away their bodies prior to death, for consumption.

As an atheist, why do you see it as morally wrong? (Obviously aimed at atheists)

In general, do you think it’s morally wrong and why? Or if not why?

ur ****ing sick

 

[eyeofthetiger]

Why

are you sick or something, not only do u think cannibalism is fine, now incest is ok too? wtf....

 

[Skidder]

A gay friend of mine once told me 'being gay isn't all about bottoms you know......it's also about willies and balls.' (this is true)

 

[Craterloads]

So you would do the love dance with your sister if she was ok with it???

No because i find it intrinsically morally wrong.

ur ****ing sick

Welcome to the forum, or should i say welcome back?

Now where do we start...

 

[mranderson]

Some people can't even wait for their meal to die (see Mike Tyson)

 

[Craterloads]

First point, I posited an absurd scenario to steer your answer toward a negative, you know the answer, why is your answer no? Is it the same principle as to why many, many people feel it's "immoral" to eat our dead?

Maybe you could have done it in a better way than to ask me if i would blow Jason? Surely you could conjure up something less offensive? or is that too much for you? Secondly i never asked or aimed my questions directly at someone, for example "would you eat your dead mother" which is essentially would you did. Take something non personal and made it personal. You need to brush up on your reductio ad absurdum in the future/

Secondly, social norms and morals are intrinsically linked. There is a very fine grey line, but the two are one and the same by and large.

By in large, though what is socially acceptable can and does differ from your own personal opinion/morals. For example one just has to look at what is socially acceptable in other cultures, yet our own morals may differ.

I really think you shouldn't post threads asking questions if you can't handle getting answers which differ from your perspective.

That is completely and utterly wrong, or you just have a vivid imagination. I have acknowledged other views on the matter.

 

[GinG]

A gay friend of mine once told me 'being gay isn't all about bottoms you know......it's also about willies and balls.' (this is true)

Fair play

 

[G.s Glazing]

No because i find it intrinsically morally wrong.



Welcome to the forum, or should i say welcome back?

Now where do we start...

You are pathetic createrloads, twice I have seen you asking this within a week.

Your attitude is, someone on the forum doesn't like what I'm saying so they must have been banned in the past.

Maybe the fella's post annoyed you because its true....

 

[edscdk]

ur ****ing sick

a mental person talking about eating people... well... don't offend him.... or you may be dinner!

 

[Craterloads]

To be honest I think the point of this thread was to bask in the moral superiority that he thinks his religion offers him, whilst us poor atheists flounder for reasons as to why cannibalism and incest are wrong.

Sadly that falls apart when given suitably nuanced arguments as to why cannibalism and incest are wrong without referring to any divine power.

You must have a massive chip on your shoulder if you think that is the case.

As has already been established some people don’t find the mere stripped down act morally wrong, weather that be incest or cannibalism. That is in stark contrast to some like myself who find it in its entirety morally wrong, for whatever reason that may be. That doesn’t make my morals superior to theirs own or theirs to mine, which you seem to be suggesting is the point of the thread. I just find it quite interesting, nothing more but you go ahead with your conspiracy theories.

 

[Craterloads]

To explain a bit further as a private individual I have the luxury of not caring what people choose to do to or with each other where it is not harmful. This may well be different from my views and responsibilities as a member of society - in my role as a member of society I am well aware that most incestous relationships are harmful to the individuals involved and to society more generally plus have a much greater incidence of genetic abnormalities/morbidity in any offspring so for that reason I'd have to be against them. This position is in keeping with that of the wider society, I do not and will not agree with all positions society (as an amorphous group) takes but here I can understand and agree with the reasoning for the blanket rule so I support it as a member of the society.

You might be inclined to see a dichotomy here but it is perfectly possible to acknowledge that while an individual belief may be logically sound, in and of itself, it may not be an acceptable viewpoint for a society to hold. For example I can believe that the principle requirement for nationality is that you genuinely feel an attachment to the place and think of it as your home - that's completely unworkable currently (and perhaps always will be) as a basis for nationality so it could not be a viewpoint supported by nations.

What i was getting at was the mere act of incest, you have nothing against as like you stated

"if it's not hurting anyone and it's between two (or more) consenting adults then I don't care much".

Which is in stark contrast to that of others, whom see it as morally wrong in its entirety. Whilst i appreciate there are other factors which form your opinions on a whole which would make you perceive it wrong as a whole, ultimately bare and stripped away, you do not.