This comment is by Valter Vilietti on the post “Inching Our Way Towards Universal Dignity: An Interview with Robert Fuller“
I agree with Fuller’s ideal and I admire him for his works.
Nevertheless, I have some doubt about “the human species is inching its way toward universal dignity. Then, only then, begins a world without war, predation, discrimination, and inequity. In the face of the abuses that fill the news, this sounds utopian”.
And my doubts are especially about the way we treat animals and Nature. If I get it correctly, Fuller’s “universal dignity” is about human beings ONLY. Most people would think “That’s fine, human beings are what really matters”.
But this attitude would still be dividing the world into “superior” and “inferior” beings; it would still be rankism.
Until we exploit, predate and abuse animals and Nature (and we feel entitled to do that because we hold ourselves as “superior”), we would be just a step away from exploit, predate and abuse another human being (as long as we can look at him as different from us).
The problem with rankism is greed.
Until we feed our greed, until we give it any excuse in order to get something more (disregarding the harm to other beings), our greed will want more and more (it’s its nature), and it will not stop – no matter what.
Thus, IMO, universal dignity, to be really effective, should encompass EVERY living being. Otherwise, it will be just an improvement, not a solution.
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photo: paulmmay / flickr