Posted by Steve on 09/21/07 13:21

"Sanders Kaufman" <bucky@kaufman.net> wrote in message
news:ztOIi.51190$Um6.19667@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net...
> "Shelly" <sheldonlg.news@asap-consult.com> wrote in message
> news:13f7bam4j9g621c@corp.supernews.com...
>> "Sanders Kaufman" <bucky@kaufman.net> wrote in message
>
>>> Animals know what death is.
>>
>> That is not what I said. I said that I believe that we are the only
>> animals that know with certainty of our OWN EVENTUAL death and that we
>> know of it early on in our lives. Certainly animals know of death, but
>> that is not what I said. I don't believe any other animal thinks
>> "someday in the distant future I will eventually die".
>
> Maybe not in English, but...
> Today, in Africa and SE Asia, are "elephant graveyards".
> The dying elephants go there to die, and adult elephants take their young
> on trips to visit the graveyards.
>
> I don't think they go there to collect ivory.

i certainly don't want to start another huge thread, however, the pov i'd
take is that distinct from the elephants, who very well may know what death
is, humans ascribe purpose and meaning to things that are completely
unrelated to survival. further, they reflect that same prescriptive on
themselves.

you probably still have me killfiled, sanders. so i'm pretty sure my fears
of me promoting another huge thread are unfounded.

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