Picked up a few books at the library today. The first was The Satanic Verses, the book that earned Salman Rushdie a fatwah in Iran. I've been wanting to figure out for a while now what all the fuss was about, so today seemed as good a time as any.
The second was a collection of essays by Bertrand Russell. It was on the same shelf, so it picqued my interest. It should make for some interesting blog material. What I really find neat is that the essay was akin to the modern blog post. Short vignettes on some topic or another. I look forward to writing about it.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Art Comes From Life
The ultimate in science geek art: Artwork of your sequenced DNA.
You submit them a sample. They sequence your DNA and turn it into art on a canvas. They'll also do your fingerprints.
Possibly best to avoid this if you're a criminal. Just throwing that out there.
Incidentally, Christmas is right around the corner *hint hint*.
You submit them a sample. They sequence your DNA and turn it into art on a canvas. They'll also do your fingerprints.
Possibly best to avoid this if you're a criminal. Just throwing that out there.
Incidentally, Christmas is right around the corner *hint hint*.
Voter Fraud in MO?
Apparently, a GOTV and voter registration group in Missouri was actively campaigning for Democratic US Senate candidate Claire McCaskill.
In a bit of irony, they were also actively campaigning on a raise in minimum wage in Missouri. It's ironic because this emerged after the group in question started stiffing its workers on their minimum wage pay.
Nothing brings out political shenanigans like an election cycle.
Hat tip: Gateway Pundit
In a bit of irony, they were also actively campaigning on a raise in minimum wage in Missouri. It's ironic because this emerged after the group in question started stiffing its workers on their minimum wage pay.
Nothing brings out political shenanigans like an election cycle.
Hat tip: Gateway Pundit
Bad Turn-Downs
Most of these are the standard type of turn-downs, of the "you're too good for me" variety. Others move towards the "better" excuses, in that they're particularly lame. The best?
Still . . . ouch.
"She told me she had to go buy the donuts for her Singles with STDs group. Point taken."Ouch. Although I suppose I would rather hear a break-up/turn-down line where they make it sound like you're better off without them, rather than the other way around.
Still . . . ouch.
On Religion, Morality, and Government
One of our pastors today preached on Christians and civil law in Romans 13, which is always an interesting if controversial topic. However, the topic started me thinking.
Can a non-religious person act morally? Certainly. Can a religious person act immorally? Again, without a doubt. What, then, is significantly different? I would argue that a religious (i.e. Christian) person is less likely to act immorally. What does government have to do with this?
I think a good example might be the difference between western democracies and communist governments. All the communist governments I can think of work very hard to stamp out religion, or at least keep it hard-pressed under the government's thumb. This results in a society, or at least a government, that is mostly non-religious. The end result? Well, communist governments tend to be hopelessly corrupt, ruthlessly brutal, and ceaselessly paranoid. Is this a consequence of being non-religious or just communist? I suppose it's hard to say, given that the latter is always accompanied by the former.
This isn't to discount corruption in western democracies. There's a degree of corruption in every government, no question. I'd wager that communist governments end up being more corrupt than religiously neutral western democracies.
Not that that's a good argument for religion. I wouldn't find it convincing that the religious are 37% less corrupt than the non-religious (just making up numbers here). If you think about the philosphy, though, there's at least something worth grabbing onto here.
Plato wrote about a farmer who finds a ring that grants the wearer invisibility. With said invisibility, the farmer could commit any misdeed without fear of repurcussion. He could even, if he were clever enough, dethrone the king and set himself up as ruler. Plato wondered what it was that might prevent a man in such a position from acting out on the darker desires of human nature.
I think the religious person, thus, has the advantage there in that there is a moral system instituting a level of control in their life. Fail-proof, no, but it is there nonetheless to deter the religious man from doing whatever he can get away with. What deters the non-religious man from doing whatever he can get away with?
That's it. I'm just thinking out loud, so to speak.
Can a non-religious person act morally? Certainly. Can a religious person act immorally? Again, without a doubt. What, then, is significantly different? I would argue that a religious (i.e. Christian) person is less likely to act immorally. What does government have to do with this?
I think a good example might be the difference between western democracies and communist governments. All the communist governments I can think of work very hard to stamp out religion, or at least keep it hard-pressed under the government's thumb. This results in a society, or at least a government, that is mostly non-religious. The end result? Well, communist governments tend to be hopelessly corrupt, ruthlessly brutal, and ceaselessly paranoid. Is this a consequence of being non-religious or just communist? I suppose it's hard to say, given that the latter is always accompanied by the former.
This isn't to discount corruption in western democracies. There's a degree of corruption in every government, no question. I'd wager that communist governments end up being more corrupt than religiously neutral western democracies.
Not that that's a good argument for religion. I wouldn't find it convincing that the religious are 37% less corrupt than the non-religious (just making up numbers here). If you think about the philosphy, though, there's at least something worth grabbing onto here.
Plato wrote about a farmer who finds a ring that grants the wearer invisibility. With said invisibility, the farmer could commit any misdeed without fear of repurcussion. He could even, if he were clever enough, dethrone the king and set himself up as ruler. Plato wondered what it was that might prevent a man in such a position from acting out on the darker desires of human nature.
I think the religious person, thus, has the advantage there in that there is a moral system instituting a level of control in their life. Fail-proof, no, but it is there nonetheless to deter the religious man from doing whatever he can get away with. What deters the non-religious man from doing whatever he can get away with?
That's it. I'm just thinking out loud, so to speak.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
On Fundamentalism at Columbia
When Ace wrote about the brouhaha at Columbia the other day, he wrote something I found rather insightful:
Not all fundamentalism is religious in nature. The impulse to violence, driven by mannichean certainty, is present in many folks. Those who reject conventional religion still may have that primal urge to smite their diabolic foes. The urge is still there; it simply manifests itself through a non-religious (or actually a quasi-religious) belief system.Cheers.
News Flood - Micellaneous
Given my lack of blogging lately, a number of news stories have piled up that I wanted to at least mention. So, I'll be doing a series of posts that are, for lack of a better term, a news dump. (Similar to a "data dump," that portion of a movie or TV show where the viewer is given a large amount of background information all at once)
This post is news that is just weird and goofy, or didn't fit into the other categories I selected. Enjoy!
Viewing God as male leads to domestic abuse
Of course, I don't expect anything different from the Episcopal Church, but it's still bizarre. The reasoning is poor at best, and it's just another symptom of a sickness in the church. Dr. Mohler wrote about it once. The essence was that liberal theologians were trying to break new ground by challenging core tenets and aspects of Christian theology, declaring that they were unsuitable as parts of Christian orthodoxy. However, it eventually progressed to the point where there was nothing left; with nothing left to challenge, there is nothing on which to base a faith. A church full of John Shelby Spongs . . . not a pretty picture.
Harvard committee recommends returning religion to curriculum
This I find interesting. Harvard did begin as a seminary, so I suppose it's only fitting. Still, knowing how many of the academics at Harvard feel about religion, I can only wonder what kind of classes will emerge from this kind of policy.
Moron recovering from 2-story escape
This is a hilarious story, once again highlighting how combining drugs with practical jokes means college students will always have great stories to share.
Hemmorhoid cream not for the face, according to makers
I didn't realize this was something they actually had a problem with. Thanks for the tip.
Teens learn hard way that nude beach has been overrun with perverts
Ah, Australia. I suppose one would expect perverts at a nude beach, but this seems out of control. Highlights: Girls are offered money for oral sex; upon fleeing, they encounter a man masturbating in the bushes; when they return to their car, a couple is copulating on it.
Youth asking for salary is stripped, paraded
Amazingly enough, he's not a grad student.
Slang of the 1920s
Well, this is just the bee's knees.
Prince offers strippers money to quit their jobs
Sounds like the guy is a feminist, really. I'm impressed.
Coolest. Teacher. Ever.
Unless you're against eating children. Then you might not like him.
Basement Arcade
This is the ultimate DIY home project. This guy transformed his basement into an 80s style arcade, including ambient music and sound effects piped in through speakers.
The pictures are amazing. I wish I could do it myself.
This post is news that is just weird and goofy, or didn't fit into the other categories I selected. Enjoy!
Viewing God as male leads to domestic abuse
Of course, I don't expect anything different from the Episcopal Church, but it's still bizarre. The reasoning is poor at best, and it's just another symptom of a sickness in the church. Dr. Mohler wrote about it once. The essence was that liberal theologians were trying to break new ground by challenging core tenets and aspects of Christian theology, declaring that they were unsuitable as parts of Christian orthodoxy. However, it eventually progressed to the point where there was nothing left; with nothing left to challenge, there is nothing on which to base a faith. A church full of John Shelby Spongs . . . not a pretty picture.
Harvard committee recommends returning religion to curriculum
This I find interesting. Harvard did begin as a seminary, so I suppose it's only fitting. Still, knowing how many of the academics at Harvard feel about religion, I can only wonder what kind of classes will emerge from this kind of policy.
Moron recovering from 2-story escape
This is a hilarious story, once again highlighting how combining drugs with practical jokes means college students will always have great stories to share.
Hemmorhoid cream not for the face, according to makers
I didn't realize this was something they actually had a problem with. Thanks for the tip.
Teens learn hard way that nude beach has been overrun with perverts
Ah, Australia. I suppose one would expect perverts at a nude beach, but this seems out of control. Highlights: Girls are offered money for oral sex; upon fleeing, they encounter a man masturbating in the bushes; when they return to their car, a couple is copulating on it.
Youth asking for salary is stripped, paraded
Amazingly enough, he's not a grad student.
Slang of the 1920s
Well, this is just the bee's knees.
Prince offers strippers money to quit their jobs
Sounds like the guy is a feminist, really. I'm impressed.
Coolest. Teacher. Ever.
Unless you're against eating children. Then you might not like him.
Basement Arcade
This is the ultimate DIY home project. This guy transformed his basement into an 80s style arcade, including ambient music and sound effects piped in through speakers.
The pictures are amazing. I wish I could do it myself.
Friday, October 06, 2006
News Flood - Science
Why Do Humans Kiss?
I don't know exactly, but get me in on those controlled studies. Aw yeah.
Nobel Prizes
Nobel Prizes in my areas of interest, for: RNAi gene silencing and crystal structures of RNA polymerase-II in action.
IgNobel Prizes
Honoring the more, um, esoteric contributions to science, the IgNobels this year honored such projects as determining why woodpeckers don't get headaches and discovering that the best way to treat the hiccups is with a finger up the rectum.
Consequently, I will not be getting hiccups again. Ever.
Northwestern Lab Explosion
Apparently there was an explosion in one of the labs at Northwestern. Two were injured, but not seriously.
I miss all the fun stuff.
Quantum information teleported from light to matter
Hmm . . . quantum data transfer . . .
"Johnson, did you fax me that report?" "I both did and did not fax you the report, sir. We won't know one way or the other until you check the machine."
Weird.
Scientists to make human-rabbit hybrid
Showing that some people have no qualms about playing God, some scientists are set to fuse animal cells to rabbit eggs to get 99.9% human . . . er, embryos. Not sure what specie it will actually be.
Supposedly this is about stem cell breakthroughs. They don't really specify what this will teach them, but hey, anything for science, right?
I don't know exactly, but get me in on those controlled studies. Aw yeah.
Nobel Prizes
Nobel Prizes in my areas of interest, for: RNAi gene silencing and crystal structures of RNA polymerase-II in action.
IgNobel Prizes
Honoring the more, um, esoteric contributions to science, the IgNobels this year honored such projects as determining why woodpeckers don't get headaches and discovering that the best way to treat the hiccups is with a finger up the rectum.
Consequently, I will not be getting hiccups again. Ever.
Northwestern Lab Explosion
Apparently there was an explosion in one of the labs at Northwestern. Two were injured, but not seriously.
I miss all the fun stuff.
Quantum information teleported from light to matter
Hmm . . . quantum data transfer . . .
"Johnson, did you fax me that report?" "I both did and did not fax you the report, sir. We won't know one way or the other until you check the machine."
Weird.
Scientists to make human-rabbit hybrid
Showing that some people have no qualms about playing God, some scientists are set to fuse animal cells to rabbit eggs to get 99.9% human . . . er, embryos. Not sure what specie it will actually be.
Supposedly this is about stem cell breakthroughs. They don't really specify what this will teach them, but hey, anything for science, right?
News Flood - Speech
Schools punishing kids for what they say online
I understand the positions of the schools. Like so many other youthful squabbles, this kind of thing can spill into the halls, even if it originated outside the building. It's good to put a stop to it while you can.
Still, the admins had best keep a tight grasp on it. If it really does violate freedom of speech, such as punishing controversial religious/political views for being "disruptive to class," then the schools will have gone too far.
Columbia Students Attack Minuteman Founder
Quite the story. College Republicans invite the Minuteman founder to speak at the school, and protestors storm the stage and end up attacking the guy. Freedom of speech . . . when it's the right kind of speech, I guess.
Michelle Malkin has the low-down, including video.
Banned by YouTube
Speaking of Michelle, some of her anti-jihadi videos were yanked by YouTube for being offensive. She thinks the charge is dubious.
If I understand correctly, the process for complaints on YouTube is such: You "flag" a video if it is inappropriate or offensive. If a video receives enough flags, the admins remove it, no review process needed. If a user has enough videos removed, their account is suspended. Again, no review process.
While I suppose that's the easiest method for a site as large as YouTube, it certainly seems like a bit more discretion would be advised for their admins, given the nature of the intertubes.
I understand the positions of the schools. Like so many other youthful squabbles, this kind of thing can spill into the halls, even if it originated outside the building. It's good to put a stop to it while you can.
Still, the admins had best keep a tight grasp on it. If it really does violate freedom of speech, such as punishing controversial religious/political views for being "disruptive to class," then the schools will have gone too far.
Columbia Students Attack Minuteman Founder
Quite the story. College Republicans invite the Minuteman founder to speak at the school, and protestors storm the stage and end up attacking the guy. Freedom of speech . . . when it's the right kind of speech, I guess.
Michelle Malkin has the low-down, including video.
Banned by YouTube
Speaking of Michelle, some of her anti-jihadi videos were yanked by YouTube for being offensive. She thinks the charge is dubious.
If I understand correctly, the process for complaints on YouTube is such: You "flag" a video if it is inappropriate or offensive. If a video receives enough flags, the admins remove it, no review process needed. If a user has enough videos removed, their account is suspended. Again, no review process.
While I suppose that's the easiest method for a site as large as YouTube, it certainly seems like a bit more discretion would be advised for their admins, given the nature of the intertubes.
Further Thoughts - Animal Intelligence
I must say, it's refreshing to see the presence of actual debates on the blog. Sometimes it's nice to know I have more than one reader.
Still, I thought I'd toss out my final thoughts on the subject and then move on. Well, I'll move on. Everyone else can feel free to discuss it as you please.
My own approach to animal intelligence is largely experiential. I don't know much about the scientific studies regarding the field (animal ethology, apparently). Still, this article from wikipedia on animal cognition was somewhat helpful. What did I take away from it?
1) The people who actually study this are, apparently, divided. They can't seem to decide whether animal intelligence is just an illusion of mechanical responses that simply seem intelligent, or actual reasoning skills. They don't know if the cognitive processes are similar to ours or not. They argue over the proper way to interpret experimental results.
2) They still don't compare to humans. Not that I needed the article to tell me this, but it's nice to know. The fact of the matter is, however much intelligence you want to attribute to an animal, it will never, ever compare to that of a human being. We can argue over whether that is a difference in degree or type, a distinction Ryan was right to make. But the difference is there and it can't be ignored without a degree of intellectual dishonesty.
3) The argument has gotten away from my initial point. The initial idea was, "Why is human life more valuable than animal life?" I defended it with a reference to intelligence based on the inifinite potential that human intelligence represents. Whatever animal intelligence may produce, it offers us no benefits. Animal intelligence tends to produce only further survival for the animals. Human intelligence, on the other hand, produces all those things I defended as products of man's intelligence: society, culture, music, art, technology, science, medicine.
Thus why human life has more value than animal life. As I see it, the only real way to discount this is to render all accomplishments of civilization meaningless, a resort to nihilism.
And unless this discussion takes a turn that sparks my interest, that's all I have to say.
Still, I thought I'd toss out my final thoughts on the subject and then move on. Well, I'll move on. Everyone else can feel free to discuss it as you please.
My own approach to animal intelligence is largely experiential. I don't know much about the scientific studies regarding the field (animal ethology, apparently). Still, this article from wikipedia on animal cognition was somewhat helpful. What did I take away from it?
1) The people who actually study this are, apparently, divided. They can't seem to decide whether animal intelligence is just an illusion of mechanical responses that simply seem intelligent, or actual reasoning skills. They don't know if the cognitive processes are similar to ours or not. They argue over the proper way to interpret experimental results.
2) They still don't compare to humans. Not that I needed the article to tell me this, but it's nice to know. The fact of the matter is, however much intelligence you want to attribute to an animal, it will never, ever compare to that of a human being. We can argue over whether that is a difference in degree or type, a distinction Ryan was right to make. But the difference is there and it can't be ignored without a degree of intellectual dishonesty.
3) The argument has gotten away from my initial point. The initial idea was, "Why is human life more valuable than animal life?" I defended it with a reference to intelligence based on the inifinite potential that human intelligence represents. Whatever animal intelligence may produce, it offers us no benefits. Animal intelligence tends to produce only further survival for the animals. Human intelligence, on the other hand, produces all those things I defended as products of man's intelligence: society, culture, music, art, technology, science, medicine.
Thus why human life has more value than animal life. As I see it, the only real way to discount this is to render all accomplishments of civilization meaningless, a resort to nihilism.
And unless this discussion takes a turn that sparks my interest, that's all I have to say.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Speaking Truth to Power
You think you've seen dirty political ads before? I mean, really slinging on the dirt?
You've seen nothing, my friends.
I have no words. Just . . . wow.
You've seen nothing, my friends.
I have no words. Just . . . wow.
Monday, October 02, 2006
The Further Adventures of Blog-Out
Ha. If I had enough traffic, I'd find guest bloggers. In the meantime, I've enough assignments and exams this week that blogging will continue to be light. Such is the life of a grad student, I suppose. Especially one who ignored a weekend of grading papers to recuperate on the couch.
On the bright side, I caught up on about 4 weeks worth of cartoons and Stargate.
Possible blogging Tuesday night or Wednesday. I would advise against holding your breath.
In the meantime, something just for fun: I recently bought a slew of music off of iTunes on a whim (aside from the free music being given away through Facebook). They are, in no particular order:
Anberlin: Never Take Friendship Personal (album)
Anathallo: Luminous Luminescence in the Atlas Position (album), Floating World (album)
Thrice: The Artist in the Ambulance (album), The Illusion of Safety (album), Vheissu (album)
Lots of good stuff. Also, from the music being offered through Facebook, I really got a kick out of Junior Kickstart by The Go! Team. No pun intended.
On the bright side, I caught up on about 4 weeks worth of cartoons and Stargate.
Possible blogging Tuesday night or Wednesday. I would advise against holding your breath.
In the meantime, something just for fun: I recently bought a slew of music off of iTunes on a whim (aside from the free music being given away through Facebook). They are, in no particular order:
Anberlin: Never Take Friendship Personal (album)
Anathallo: Luminous Luminescence in the Atlas Position (album), Floating World (album)
Thrice: The Artist in the Ambulance (album), The Illusion of Safety (album), Vheissu (album)
Lots of good stuff. Also, from the music being offered through Facebook, I really got a kick out of Junior Kickstart by The Go! Team. No pun intended.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Scott Adams on Free Will
I'm a fan of the Dilbert comic strip, so I also get a kick out of reading the blog of its author, Scott Adams.
Adams regularly tackles philosphical and political issues with a combination of humor and cynicism that I find to be insightful. At times, anyhow. The other times, I find him to be . . . less than insightful.
In any event, he's having yet another discussion on free will (or the absence thereof) over at his blog.
Worth a read if you're interested in that sort of thing.
Adams regularly tackles philosphical and political issues with a combination of humor and cynicism that I find to be insightful. At times, anyhow. The other times, I find him to be . . . less than insightful.
In any event, he's having yet another discussion on free will (or the absence thereof) over at his blog.
Worth a read if you're interested in that sort of thing.
The Value of Life
In a previous discussion, there was some debate over the difference in value between animal life and human life. I thought it might be worthwhile to lay my cards on the table over the distinction I place on the two.
I could make a theological argument here, but I don't think that would be very helpful. Not only because most of my readers aren't Christians, but also because it would make for a very short post. A quick reference to the first few chapters of Genesis, and there you go. Humans > animals.
For the philosophical, non-religious approach, I can sum up my argument in two words: Intellectual Capacity.
Though humanity displays varying degrees of it, intelligence is the factor that distinguishes us from the lower life forms. A few different manifestations of this capability of humanity are worth expanding on:
Science, Art/Music, Culture - Some of the greatest accomplishments of mankind are summed up in those concepts. The quest to explore the natural order and better the lot of humanity through those discoveries is only possible because of mankind's capacity for rational thought. The fine arts are sometimes rationalized as being evolutionarily similar to mating rituals in other species, be it colorful displays or sound-based mating calls. I think, however, that the reliance of abstract principles in art and music take it well beyond simply an attempt to impress the opposite sex and increase mating potential.
Conservation - Mankind is unique amongst the denizens of this planet in its approach to conservation. Yes, people do argue over the best way to implement conservatory principles. Some want to consume away and let scientific advancement deal with the consequences. Others would prefer that we level our cities and do nothing to disrupt the natural balance anywhere. But inbetween those two extremes, mankind agrees that nature should be preserved in some way. We recognize that our dependence on the world around us requires us to ensure its survival so that we, as a species, will also survive.
Contrast this with animals. Nature has many controls built in so that most ecosystems are in balance. Food supply, predatory population, reproductive capacity; these things keep animal populations in check. But as we see with deer, as an example, if you remove one of those controls, the animals have no sense of conservation. They will eat and breed until their territory can no longer sustain them. They then either die or spread out. Mankind, at least in part, recognizes that it cannot live in that manner.
Morality and Ethics - I'd consider this one of the most important aspects of intellectual thought that sets man apart from animals. Animals are driven, by and large, by physical and instinctual impulses. The questions an animal usually has to answer at any given time mostly consist of, "Am I hungry? Am I safe? Am I in danger? Am I bored? Could I be mating?" Ethics and morality do not enter into this. A bear will not wonder about the ethical ramifications of eating a smaller animal. Its thoughts, I can only assume, center around satiating its hunger and finding an animal small enough to kill but large enough to satisfy.
That mankind can ponder the morality of animal life is a sign of its superiority. And part of what sets human life above animals is that we recognize this capacity in others. When we consider our actions, we do not account only for how it affects us. We also account for how it affects those around us. Any number of specific examples could be cited to contradict this, but it is the case in general.
I could write more. The point is that mankind's intelligence sets it apart from the animal kingdom, and it is the value of this capacity, and also a function of it, that sets the value of a human life above that of an animal.
I could make a theological argument here, but I don't think that would be very helpful. Not only because most of my readers aren't Christians, but also because it would make for a very short post. A quick reference to the first few chapters of Genesis, and there you go. Humans > animals.
For the philosophical, non-religious approach, I can sum up my argument in two words: Intellectual Capacity.
Though humanity displays varying degrees of it, intelligence is the factor that distinguishes us from the lower life forms. A few different manifestations of this capability of humanity are worth expanding on:
Science, Art/Music, Culture - Some of the greatest accomplishments of mankind are summed up in those concepts. The quest to explore the natural order and better the lot of humanity through those discoveries is only possible because of mankind's capacity for rational thought. The fine arts are sometimes rationalized as being evolutionarily similar to mating rituals in other species, be it colorful displays or sound-based mating calls. I think, however, that the reliance of abstract principles in art and music take it well beyond simply an attempt to impress the opposite sex and increase mating potential.
Conservation - Mankind is unique amongst the denizens of this planet in its approach to conservation. Yes, people do argue over the best way to implement conservatory principles. Some want to consume away and let scientific advancement deal with the consequences. Others would prefer that we level our cities and do nothing to disrupt the natural balance anywhere. But inbetween those two extremes, mankind agrees that nature should be preserved in some way. We recognize that our dependence on the world around us requires us to ensure its survival so that we, as a species, will also survive.
Contrast this with animals. Nature has many controls built in so that most ecosystems are in balance. Food supply, predatory population, reproductive capacity; these things keep animal populations in check. But as we see with deer, as an example, if you remove one of those controls, the animals have no sense of conservation. They will eat and breed until their territory can no longer sustain them. They then either die or spread out. Mankind, at least in part, recognizes that it cannot live in that manner.
Morality and Ethics - I'd consider this one of the most important aspects of intellectual thought that sets man apart from animals. Animals are driven, by and large, by physical and instinctual impulses. The questions an animal usually has to answer at any given time mostly consist of, "Am I hungry? Am I safe? Am I in danger? Am I bored? Could I be mating?" Ethics and morality do not enter into this. A bear will not wonder about the ethical ramifications of eating a smaller animal. Its thoughts, I can only assume, center around satiating its hunger and finding an animal small enough to kill but large enough to satisfy.
That mankind can ponder the morality of animal life is a sign of its superiority. And part of what sets human life above animals is that we recognize this capacity in others. When we consider our actions, we do not account only for how it affects us. We also account for how it affects those around us. Any number of specific examples could be cited to contradict this, but it is the case in general.
I could write more. The point is that mankind's intelligence sets it apart from the animal kingdom, and it is the value of this capacity, and also a function of it, that sets the value of a human life above that of an animal.
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