Pseudo-Spiritual Justifications for Immoral Action
Some people believe in pseudo-spiritual ideas that inhibit their understanding. I speak of the “oneness” and “all is consciousness” conceptions. You can recognize the everything that is matter is made of energy and can be likened to the unseen “spiritual” aspect, so everything has an aspect of spirit or consciousness. Animals, plants and minerals. But, in their widening belief, many people include plants as equal to animals, and hence minerals as well. They justify their use of what exists, such as minerals and plants and animals, as being of the same consequential moral level, of it all being energy, spirit, consciousness, etc. Except humans, humans are above the others since they are humans themselves, clearly they have to view themselves and humans as superior in order justify their immoral use of other “spirit consciousness” made matter, such as other animals, and not immorally use the “spirit consciousness” made matter of human animals. That is why we are allowed to use them, because we humans are above them, so they conclude. They need to “survive”, so other nonhuman animals don’t matter.
How else could they justify using animals unless they classified them into the same domain as plants and minerals of which they also use? Clearly humans are above the rest if we can use them without moral concern. Therefore, in their minds, without them possibly even being aware of it, they view themselves as above everything else, and everything else is there for them to use, except humans of course, since they are human themselves and don’t want others to violate them.
Some human animals don’t even include other human animals in moral concern, and just include themselves and the ones they “care” about as being above the rest. These are generally looked at as psychopaths. Only them and their circle matter. It is about them and their circle enjoying life and surviving. The rest don’t matter. Much of society is afflicted with this secondary psychopath mind-virus. It is the Social Darwinist dog-eat-dog world we live in.
Similarly, some people think the same way with regard to other nonhuman animals. Most people do include all human animals in the moral rights to life and freedom, but they don’t include nonhuman animals. This is a form of psychopathy towards other animals that are not human animals. There is a lack of care and heart-development to identify with them as others like us. Not the same as us, but very much like us humans.
“As often has Herman had witnessed the slaughter of animals and fish, he always had the same thought: In their behavior towards creatures, all men were Nazis. The smugness with which man could do with other species as he pleased exemplify the most extreme racist theories, the principle that might is right.”
– Isaac Bashevis Singer (Enemies, A Love Story)