I think a few decades ago, many would have similar objections to trans rights stuff. A few more decades ago and the same would be said about gay marriage. A few more ago, the same would be said about civil rights/âwomenâs suffrage.
Even then though, in small corners of society, these ideas were discussed.
It is, of course, hard to disambiguate between the ideas that eventually became moral progress and those that died off. But it was hard to know those at the time.
The strongest arguments in those areas are by analogy. Analogising is much easier with fellow humans or even animals close to us than worms. âIf you were X, you probably wouldnât want to be discriminated againstâ or âthey probably suffer like me, we should avoid thatâ. This starts to break down around the level of shrimp and then is completely broken by the time you get microscopic.
Nematodes being morally significant is far more disruptive and absurd than any of these ideas. Accepting that the Old Testament can be ignored on yet another moral issue is pretty easy. Accepting that human welfare is a rounding error compared to microscopic worms is society-upending.
I think a few decades ago, many would have similar objections to trans rights stuff. A few more decades ago and the same would be said about gay marriage. A few more ago, the same would be said about civil rights/âwomenâs suffrage.
Even then though, in small corners of society, these ideas were discussed.
It is, of course, hard to disambiguate between the ideas that eventually became moral progress and those that died off. But it was hard to know those at the time.
The strongest arguments in those areas are by analogy. Analogising is much easier with fellow humans or even animals close to us than worms. âIf you were X, you probably wouldnât want to be discriminated againstâ or âthey probably suffer like me, we should avoid thatâ. This starts to break down around the level of shrimp and then is completely broken by the time you get microscopic.
Nematodes being morally significant is far more disruptive and absurd than any of these ideas. Accepting that the Old Testament can be ignored on yet another moral issue is pretty easy. Accepting that human welfare is a rounding error compared to microscopic worms is society-upending.