Does it matter if plants have feelings?
With all these discussions of whether eating meat is moraly correct or not, I keep wondering, what about the plants? They are living beings the same way as animals are, and are being cultivated and used by human beings the same way. Just because they barely move, we can't assume they can't feel, they come from DNA the same way... (Even though I'm not familiar with what science says about the subject...)
So, does it matter if plants have feelings? Does it affect the way we feel about eating meat or is it all the same?
Yes, it changes everything
Side Score: 34
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No, it's all the same
Side Score: 16
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lol, what a weird question. If gravity were reversed would that change things? I think it might. What if instead of eyes we had golf-balls? Oh man that would be crazy. Plants don't have brains. Anything close to "feelings" they might have are just biomechanical reactions in no way comparable to the sophisticated, complex phenomena that occur in sentient beings. Side: Yes, it changes everything
Yes, if we find out that plants can feel pain as much as animals do, I'd feel less bad about eating meat, because this would mean that it can't be helped, we will always cause pain to something in order to live. It would also change the way I see vegetarians and vegans. I guess that if plants do feel, the most moral choice would be to only eat products which wouldn't kill either animals or plants. Dairy products, fruits and so on... Side: Yes, it changes everything
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Yeah totally agree with you on the numbers matter. I was just wondering about the whole "feelings" excuse in itself, but I probably said a bunch of nonsense since I know nothing about the science behind it... About the fruits, I was thinking that if you eat an apple, you don't have to kill the apple tree, but if you eat potatoes.... =P Side: Yes, it changes everything
It would change some people's lifestyles dramatically. Others it wouldn't change at all. It would certainly change the lives of a lot of vegetarians. It could even make some vegetarians not be vegetarians anymore...they might give up on their ideals entirely if they prevented their survival. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong about that. People who do believe that animals have feelings and who eat them anyway and don't really care, however, would really not care about eating plants either. Side: Yes, it changes everything
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I work on the assumption that plants feel. In fact, this is provable simply by observation: sunflowers turn towards the sun, venus fly traps respond to touch. I saw studies a number of years ago suggesting that some species of plant put out antibodies when nearby but unconnected plants of the same species fall ill. I cannot make a judgement of cognisance in plants, all I can say is that they respond to stimuli. They have defense mechanisms in place for things that might kill them. They react when something harms them. I make no judgement of cognisance in animals. They respond to stimuli, they have defence mechanisms, they react to harm. If plants did not show this aversion to being hurt, I'd probably be answering this question a different way. In fact, I'd probably be a vegetarian, simply for the ethical standpoint. However, I can find no basis to distinguish between plants or animals in this regard. Thus, as I am neither a proponent of Breatharianism nor Inedia, I prefer to display my lack of bias by eating both plants and animals. Side: Yes, it changes everything
There IS a group of people who use the argument that plants HAVE feelings and CAN feel pain based on a scientific study. However this study has not been accepted by anybody who has brains. The reason for this is that they're probably adjusting the term 'pain' to any sort of reaction to damage. Plants are purely bio-chemical reactions without any form of conciousness. BUT if there was good, thorough scientific research to prove me wrong, then it would make a lot of difference a - for vegetarians who wouldn't want to harm plants b - for those who argue that vegetarians aren't on the moral high horse. Side: Yes, it changes everything
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I am a plant so I know all about it. Check my profile if you don't believe me: http://www.facebook.com/ Side: Yes, it changes everything
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Would it matter? no. I mean, I know that ants have feelings, and I don't watch where I step. Why? Because I've got better things to do, like spread Amdro in my backyard. Plus, since they lack any kind of nervous system that creates senses, we already know that they don't have feelings. Side: No, it's all the same
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Where did you get the idea that plants are inanimate? They aren't, they simply move at a much slower pace to us. Have you never seen a time lapse video of a plant? The question in this debate spoke of feeling, not soul. Can you display to me that you have a soul but a plant does not? Side: Yes, it changes everything
No they are plants , why ? Hang on I will sing to my plants................................. Side: No, it's all the same
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