Sharks are way smarter than people give them credit for. They have been shown to exhibit learned behaviors, such as following fishing boats to eat the bycatch and all the bits the fishermen throw back in the water, or if they’re line fishing, they will take the fish right off the hook, leaving the head so they don’t get snagged. Sharks are awesome.
Not just fish, dolphins have attempted to rape humans.... never mind what they do on a bad day and start "raking" people. Dolphins can be fucked up.
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· 5 years ago
I wonder if their propensity for terrible things is proportional to level of intelligence. Chimpanzees can be awful too, just one example of a very intelligent species being horrible. That would explain so much about our own species
There’s allot to consider here. “Sharks can’t be evil because they aren’t intelligent enough...” well- yes and no. Does “evil” require malice? If three people torture, rape, and kill 100 people each: but one enjoys it, one feels bad, and the other has a mental condition which makes them incapable of seeing what they did as wrong.... we can agree all 3 did a “bad” thing- but here’s the thing- the one that feels bad did it anyway- knowing it was wrong in every way. Even when their own conscience said its wrong. The one who enjoyed it- their basic psychology and or biology told them to do it, society told them it is wrong. If society told you slavery or pedophilia were ok- but your being told you it was wrong, which would you listen to, society- or your conscience? What’s more- the two people who willingly did it have even a chance to change or decide otherwise in the future, the guy who doesn’t know better and is incapable of knowing better will do it again regardless.
So who is evil now? See- going back to “conscience” vs social morality- many of these arguments are applying human morality to animals. Universal morality is already debatable among humans. Morality is cultural often- a study was conducted world wide on self driving car AI. The study was like the “trolly track” meme- if the car has to hit someone or something- who should it endanger, with situations given like just a driver vs 1 pedestrian, driver and passenger vs multiple pedestrians- with the ages and social statuses of the people changed in multiple scenarios. Trends were observed among certain groups which reflected their societies ideas of right and wrong. Some felt it was better to hit a child than an elderly person. Children heal faster, and it takes 5 years to grow a 5 year old but 60 to grpma 60 year old. In some
Cultures elderly are just “revered.” Some cultures felt it was better to sacrifice multiple “poor” than a few rich. There are more poor, and they have lower “value”
from a resource and economic standpoint as individuals. Studies like this as well as getting personal experience with various cultures and people show even humans can’t agree on a universal morality. It’s alreasy somewhat questionable to apply our morality to others. That’s a cornerstone of imperialism and conquest. “They should wear clothes..” “these people need to go to church...” “defacing your body with tattoos and piercings...?” Etc. But to look at a completely different species and judge it’s intelligence or morality based on how WE as humans or individuals see morality is a bit too far. Imagine if we met a species completely alien to us? How would they judge us if they did the same? So wether sharks or anything is “evil” or not is completely relative- but I posit we cannot judge a species as good or evil- especially through a filter of a morality that is completely alien to them. They can only be judged from the perspective of their species and in context to others like them.
Cultures elderly are just “revered.” Some cultures felt it was better to sacrifice multiple “poor” than a few rich. There are more poor, and they have lower “value”