midgley #10

Midgely begins this chapter speakng of our responsibility towards animals. She presents the arguement that there are not enough resources for the human species, and if there were, then some of it would be given to animals as well. Midgely does not agree with life boat ethics, beacuse "it tends to generate bad faith" (20). We often have many more options that we can choose than just one option that life boats ethics describes. She does not think that life boat ethics is realistic, and that it is never the case. Everyone does not need to be competitors for life or resouces, there can be a unity to help each other out. She states that "competition is not the basic law of life" (21). Everyone is unique and individual, but no one would be able to survive with out eachother; we need each other to live.

In the next section, Midgely tells the story of the Good Samaritan, and how the "good samaritan" took the time to help a stranger who injured on the side of the road. This story depicts our responsibility in the world not only being to ourself and those we know, but to all others around us, especially those who need help. She states that in a time of crisis we usually go to help those closest to us first, but this does not mean our help stops there. Competition is not the driving force; therefore, we should be able to help others that are strangers, or even a different species. Natural selection is a theory that presents competition as the underlying force of survival. Midgely says that there is error in this theory being competition, related to this theory, exists mainly within species, and evolutiuon goes on despite competitive behavior. Instead of competition, mutual dependenc is required to continue life.

Midgely realizes that competition is inevitable sometimes, but it is wrong when we believe that it gives us a licence to kill, prefering human interest to an animal one. She states that when animal interests are put first, those people are seen as eccentrics. Even actions that are done, which better animal treatment, are done for human reasons. Midgely uses the exampls of vegetarianism becoming more popular, but the reason is because it is seen to be healthier in many ways for humans, rather than because it prevents the killing of animals. Meat-eating and vegetarianism have two different typer of sybolism behind them; one symbolizing the conquering of life, and the other death. Midgely uses several diagrams to depict competition and who we would save first. The center is ourselves, and the farthest is the biosphere. I think this is a good depiction of how the world works today; however, there can be variations. When we are able to put others before ourselves and make sacrifices to create a better world, then there will be an imporvement to life.