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Originally posted by Erebus
but nonetheless these same animals are obviously attached to their lives. One could even argue that it is precisely the "examined life" that is not worth living, not the contrary.

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quote:

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Originally posted by darwin

quote:

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Originally posted by Erebus
but nonetheless these same animals are obviously attached to their lives. One could even argue that it is precisely the "examined life" that is not worth living, not the contrary.

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(side-stepping the libertarian/smoking debate)

Strictly speaking animals are motivated to make copies of their genes (this usuallly means reproducing, but can also mean aiding the reproduction of relatives), and not necessarily driven to protect their lives. There are many cases where individuals sacrifice their lives to increase reproduction, such as the male spiders that after copulation literally jump into the mouths of their mates and are consumed. And less dramatically, think of all of the wild displays and plumages that males use to attract mates (such as the peacock's tail). Those traits hinder survival, but increase reproductive success.

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