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Some of my views. Most of it is just other people’s words, actually, and not expression of original ideas.
This is an experiment.
Happiness is not a goal. It’s more like a state, a way of life. Happiness comes from seeking truth. Seeking the good and right way for a human to live.
This truth seeking is philosophy.
True knowledge is one which leads to positive actions.
“What to do” must be answered before “how to do it”. Doing anything is pointless without a goal. Goals must be explored, developed, understood fully and be kept under review.
Morality’s purpose is to answer questions like “what is the good way to live”, “what is the right way to live”, “what are the virtues one should seek”. It therefore assumes there is such an answer, there is truth. This assumption is rooted in our intuition of what “good” means. When we say a certain tool or food is good, there’s a certain meaning of “good” we refer to, but when we say “good person” we mean something entirely different. This basic feeling that there is a point to existence leads us to ask “what should I do”, and that’s the basis for developing morality. Giving things meaning beyond their physical scientific traits.
Knowledge and morality are linked. Sticking to practices and their development and seeking truth as a high goal develops morality. Not doing so deteriorates both morality and knowledge.
Positive actions allow to truly internalize knowledge and be an example for others to follow.
It may not be possible to define the good and right way to live. It may not be possible to define the pure absolute truth. But it is possible to point to them, in a way others can follow. This is how education should work. Be an example, and practice seeking truth together.
I am a vegan. I believe all animals deserve to live happily, including humans. We are born equal, thrown into a random position and a random physical existence. And we have a chance to be happy. To use our powers to seek, explore, create, build and help. Humans seek in ways no other animal seems to do, but animals too experience the world in their own ways. They can follow a goal. They can have good feelings and bad feelings.
Whether I also know this, which is more than to believe, is up to you to judge. Does this belief lead to positive actions, good life? Am I consistent in my behavior, applying these principles everywhere every time?
Seeking truth led me to this belief. It leads to harmony in nature. It leads to happiness: I don’t participate or encourage suffering and killing of animals, and animals live with humans in peace on this planet, when these principles are followed as a way of life.
The opposite, valuing animals’ lives depending on their use as an instrument, also has exactly the opposite result. Death and suffering of animals. False belief - i.e. loss of knowledge - that eating animals is good for us, and that the world was created for us to use freely. Health consequences which cause suffering and death of us, humans. Environmental impact which threatens to destroy all life on this planet.
Focusing on greed, rather than seeking truth and good practice, has twisted people’s minds into this situation, in which ethical veganism is still practiced by a minority. It has harmed the development of morality, and led it into such a negative course, many people don’t even understand morality anymore and don’t think it is needed, or exists in any way. We must go back to the way of seeking and exploring and trying to understand, rather than pursuing immediate selfish joy.
I am therefore unable to directly teach and prove that the lives of all living beings have value, just like the lives of human beings. But think about it, has anyone ever directly proved that all humans are equal? You were merely given a direction to look at, a path to walk. It is you who walked, it is you who saw. I would like to do the same for the animals too, in the same way.
Watch videos, read texts. Learn how animals are treated in the various industries that use them. Visit animals, examine their conditions. Do they seem to have fun, are they free, are they happy in the way animals can be? Look at them. The old ones and the young ones. How do you feel about it? Are they not cute? Are they not a miracle of nature? Could you imagine hurting them? Killing them? Listen to the voice a cow makes when its baby is taken away, right after birth. What does it sound like, what does it feel like? See recordings of animals being hunted, running for their lives. What does it make you feel?
Do you see what I see?
Seek the truth. Don’t hide from it. Don’t close your eyes. Don’t turn your back.
Most of the people I know who eat or otherwise knowingly use and abuse animals don’t claim that the life of non-human animals is worth depending on their use, like a tool. Most people simply don’t express an intellectual opinion at all. They just repeat mantras. Things like “I’m not telling you what to eat, so don’t tell me either” or “It’s just tasty, so I eat. Let me live and have fun”. That’s because most people don’t seek. We are taught so many wrong things, and then we automatically assume them as adults. People are afraid of having all their belief system broken. They’re afraid of philosophy, afraid to look at a cow and feel bad about eating it. They know, they feel it inside. The realize deep inside that all this suffering doesn’t make sense. It’s bad. It screams for their help and attention. But when give this choice to act, to accept these thoughts, they choose to ignore them.
These people are ready. They don’t claim to understand. Instead, they prefer to avoid the discussion because they don’t know how to express such a belief, how to talk about ethics, how to make such a discussion, how it works and how it feels. All they need is this little push. Just show them the way.
I recommend Earthlings and Home, documentary films. See the [[/projects/collection]] page and Wikipedia.