News ABC News : North Korea reportedly executing cannibals

[Codz]

True, but that isn't what I was commenting on. If you had said something like "I could never kill a person for food" , we wouldn't been having a discussion. But you said " I simply could never eat people.", and didn't mention murder or even killing.

I couldn't do either. Even trying to imagine myself in the most desperate situation possible, I can't bring myself to even consider it.

 

[Urwumpe]

Ah, Immanuel Kant and the german philosophy... The human being always able to choose and control himself in a rational fashion, because he has to follow moral obligations... I think it is a very optimistic way of seeing things. :2cents:

If you choose to care about your actions, it works. Thus Kant does not apply to teenagers, terminally ill, terminally stupid, drug addicts and starving people.

 

[Codz]

Why is everyone assuming that Humans are the only possible food source for the starving? Did wild animals, insects and plants just go extinct?:dry:

 

[Urwumpe]

Why is everyone assuming that Humans are the only possible food source for the starving? Did wild animals, insects and plants just go extinct?:dry:

You could go hunting a rabbit, what costs you a lot of energy.

Or you could eat a leg of somebody who had the bad luck to die before you and who will sure not miss it.

 

[C3PO]

Even trying to imagine myself in the most desperate situation possible, I can't bring myself to even consider it.

The problem is that you can't imagine your way into situations that are so far outside the norm. And neither can I. You have to live through it to be sure how you'll react.

That's why I have a problem when people are judging, or talking about accepting other people's reactions in life or death emergencies.

BTW I'm still not talking about murder, only survival. Only a complete psychopath would accept killing humans for food.

 

[N_Molson]

Only a complete psychopath would accept killing humans for food.

Some ancient cultures did that. They were not all psychopaths, it was a custom accepted by the whole society (and as weird as it may seem, in some cases, it was an honor to be sacrified and eaten).

 

[C3PO]

Some ancient cultures did that. They were not all psychopaths, it was a custom accepted by the whole society (and as weird as it may seem, in some cases, it was an honor to be sacrified and eaten).

I think those were usually more about (religious) symbolic rituals rather than a source of food.

 

[Jarvitä]

I fail to see how this was in any way unexpected. The DPRK has been known to starve its own people for political reasons, distributing food rations by party favour, etc. What little food aid makes it through the international sanctions is confiscated by the army. Between a quarter and a third of all children are thought to suffer from developmental defects due to malnutrition.

I guess shooting all the starving people takes care of the problem, in a way. Was it Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il who said the DPRK can afford to lose 15 million people and should focus on feeding the rest?

 

[Ghostrider]

I think those were usually more about (religious) symbolic rituals rather than a source of food.

Then you think wrong. Cannibalism for purely dietary reasons has been quite widespread throughout human history. In recent times there have been cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Liberia and Sierra Leone. During times of famine necro-cannibalism (the eating of parts of an already-dead human) is not a rarity. There have been examples in both World Wars. It has happened to more than one caravan on the Oregon Trail (unless they broke an axle and died of disentery first).

The taboo about eating your own kind is unique to humans, and then again only to some cultures. In order to survive - and especially in order to guarantee the survival of our loved ones - we would do anything.

 

[C3PO]

Then you think wrong. Cannibalism for purely dietary reasons has been quite widespread throughout human history.

We have already covered famine and survival cannibalism earlier in this thread. I've never heard of cannibalism being accepted in any society under "normal" conditions. Even in exceptional cases (like war, famine, marooned etc.) I haven't heard about anyone actually being killed for purely dietary reasons.
My comment was that killing humans and eating parts of them would most likely be a part of some ritual. (see N_Molson's post above)

The fact that a large portion of people would use cannibalism as a last resort to survive exceptional circumstances doesn't mean you can call cannibalism a widespread practise.
In fact there are very few (if any) examples of anyone admitting to being a part of a group that practices cannibalism. It's always the neighbouring (enemy) group that are cannibals.

 

[Ghostrider]

We have already covered famine and survival cannibalism earlier in this thread. I've never heard of cannibalism being accepted in any society under "normal" conditions.

And as I posted, many societies have considered it normal. The Anasazi seemed to have no problem with it, and it looks like early tribes in Europe had long pig on the menu as well, and the same holds with some pre-Columbian civilizations.

Why are we surprised that cannibalism could be accepted in any society? We have accepted slavery, gladiatorial games, genocide and a whole lot of unpleasant man-on-man actions throughout history, and by civilizations that are considered very advanced.

The reason cannibalism hits us where we don't like is that it's an unpleasant reminder of the fact that we can be prey as well. It's a primitive fear that doesn't go away.