Would you eat a primate? and other questions

[JimmyNic]

Primate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Question 1: Would you eat a primate?

Question 2: If no, why? If yes, would you eat a human being?

Question 3: What is the animal most closely related to humanity that you would eat, and why do you draw a line?

[Jack]

How hungry am I and how desperate a situation? I wouldn't kill a person in order to eat them, but if the situation was extreme enough there isn't any ready (dead) meat, or any other edible substance, I wouldn't try to eat.

[JimmyNic]

How hungry am I and how desperate a situation? I wouldn't kill a person in order to eat them, but if the situation was extreme enough there isn't any ready (dead) meat, or any other edible substance, I wouldn't try to eat.

Well are there any situations in which you would? Since you seem to imply that you would depending on the circumstance, where do you draw the line?

On another tack, would you support the farming of primates for meat in the same way we farm cattle for meat, assuming it tasted as good as whatever your favourite meat is.

[Jack]

Well are there any situations in which you would? Since you seem to imply that you would depending on the circumstance, where do you draw the line?

Survival. I'd need to be in a situation in which I wouldn't survive otherwise.

On another tack, would you support the farming of primates for meat in the same way we farm cattle for meat, assuming it tasted as good as whatever your favourite meat is.

No. As illogical as it may be I'm not in favor of eating any animal closely related to us or with highly developed brains.

[JimmyNic]

No. As illogical as it may be I'm not in favor of eating any animal closely related to us or with highly developed brains.

So you won't eat something based on its levels of sentience then?

[Jack]

Pretty much.

[Thanatos]

Probably a bad idea. The more closely related it is to you, the more likely it is to carry diseases you can catch.

I'd eat a monkey if I was convinced it was well-cooked. Then again, I'm pretty sure I'm rapidly losing hold of anything resembling morals.

[ironeagle]

1.If I had to yes
2.If I had to yes
3. I draw the line when there is food at the store to eat.

[seyorni]

So you won't eat something based on its levels of sentience then?

Do you mean sapience? Cows are just as sentient as monkeys.
In re sapience, though, not all primates are particularly intelligent, either. Your average porker could think rings around a lot of monkeys, particularly the leaf-eaters and some of the smaller ones.

As a vegetarian I could dodge this question, but, hypothetically, I'd say dietary conventions are almost entirely cultural. What's revolting for one is dessert for another.
Personally, I'd have no more compunction against eating a human steak than a beefsteak, but eating eyeballs, testes or spiders would probably freak me out.
Wierd, eh? There's no logic to it.

I recall, decades ago, reading a chapter in John Hunter's book Hunter, in which he relates a meeting in the African Jungle with some natives, who invited him to dinner. When he asked what meat he was eating his hosts quite casually replied "arm." It didn't occur to them that there might be anything unusual or off-putting in this fare.

[JimmyNic]

Do you mean sapience? Cows are just as sentient as monkeys.
In re sapience, though, not all primates are particularly intelligent, either. Your average porker could think rings around a lot of monkeys, particularly the leaf-eaters and some of the smaller ones.

That's an interesting point. I thought sentience was roughly equivalent to intelligence but you are correct I think.

As a vegetarian I could dodge this question, but, hypothetically, I'd say dietary conventions are almost entirely cultural. What's revolting for one is dessert for another.

I entirely agree with you. India has a lot of Vegetarians (Source), for example. I think a lot of our sense of what tastes good relates to culture as well, what you were brought up eating has a big effect on what you think tastes good.