From: cbcox-AT-rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Carrol Cox) Subject: Re: Re: M-FEM: Re: Another View of PK (fwd). Respect for "Life"? Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 10:14:11 -0500 (CDT) David, O.K. So my fears were not borne out in respect to you. Good. Carrol > > > In a message dated 97/10/18 6:38:40 PM, cbcox-AT-rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu wrote: > > >I think the concept of "respect for all life" is an essentially > >anti-human perspective. (I think Hannah Arendt argued this point years > >ago.) It is to be begin with too vague: > > Respect for life as opposed to exploitation. Recognition of interdependency > on ecosystems. > > > >Does David really want us to > >"respect" (except in some purely instrumental sense) the Smallpox > >Virus or the AIDS virus? > > No--because they don't respect us........ > > >Worse, I always suspect that behind any worship of "life as > >such," there lurks a "Pro-Life" stance in the political sense, and > >as was argued out in some detail in this list some months ago, it > >is wrong to put even moral or social pressure on women to avoid > >abortion. > > I have performed volunteer security and escort work for two abortion clinics > on both east and west coasts. There is no anti-choice sentiment lurking > here--neither do I worship life. I suggested respect as an alternative to > objectification of each other (or Other) and alienation from eco systems > upon which we depend. That alienation brought about in large part by > capitalism and the industrial devolution. Respect , (in the sense used by > First Nations culture, eg) would not necessarily mean that lives would not > be taken. > > >One last point: I don't think "Life" should re reified. > > How is this reification? > > >There is no such entity as "Life," which properly viewed is a mode of > >existence of certain forms of matter, not a "thing." > > Fine---respect for entities experiencing this particular mode of existence > then..... > > David Roy > Vancouver Island > >
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