Philosophy Now Forum

I recently paid a vet to put a cat out of it's missery.

She said he couldn't live more than a day, was suffering, and that it was the only humane thing to do.

A day or so later, when I said "at least he's no longer in pain," someone I normally respect said "that's a catagory error."

When I asked him to explain what he meant, he said "an entity doesn't gain or lose anyhing if it ceases to exist, because the entity no longer exists to gain or lose by comparison with prior conditions"

In other words, a cat suffering in pain is "no worse off" than a non-existent cat, so I didn't really do it any favor by putting it out of existence.

In other words, I could have saved some money, and let it suffer another day without doing it any harm.

Isn't there something wrong with that logic somewhere????

Is it just a word game????

If the cat did cease to exist when I put it out of it's pain, did I not still do it a service (by putting it out of it's pain, even if it no longer exists to consciously recognise that it's no longer in pain)????

in other words, is a non-existent cat suffering or not?

and..is suffering bad or good? who is suffering if cat is suffering or non-existent cat is not suffering? what cat thinks about suffering?..

when? when entity does not gain or lose anything? when entity is suffering? before or after the r.i.p.?

is that a "cat-egory error" to use word "gain", because the entity no longer exists to gain or lose by comparison with prior conditions?

or is there a "category error" when we look gaining from dead cats point of view AND from living cats point of view at the same time in sentence, as if they are the same thing, living or dead cat, if: "an entity doesn't gain or lose anyhing if it ceases to exist, because the entity no longer exists to gain or lose by comparison with prior conditions"? can dead cat gain anything? can suffering dying cat still gain something? would dead or alive cat seek suffer or avoid it? philosophical questions indeed. and is there any error in "dead cats point of view" also?

Euthanasia simply means a good death. I see no problem with goodness being associated with the cessation of live.
Death is the culmination and raison d'etre of life, having a good one has always been regarded as important.
As for your friend, I think this question has been answered on another thread.
Obviously a dead cat cannot gain, but a living cat can benefit from death when it is better to be dead than alive.

I think the confusion is based on a dual meaning of death; 1) The living process by which living ceases, 2) the idea of "being" dead which is impossible, because death is the negation of being.

PS. I think you mean category error, NOT catagory error.

A cat a gory error would be a cat getting into a gory state by being killed in a messy way.
That would be a CATastrophe.

maybe alive cat is not "alive cat" to alive cat and maybe not "dead cat" to dead cat? maybe cat is dead or alive cat to us? maybe empathy to dogs can let us kill dogs and torture cats? what about empathy to other animals? industrially produced millions and millions chickens and pigs and all? maybe empathy to all living lets us to kill but not to torture living things? suicide can torture friends and loved ones if they torture self-destructive ones not to kill because they need them like we need tortured cheap meet? also if they need them to fulfill their own true believes and isms world views? i would like to see bottled banana-passion fruit kill yourself now-suicide cocktails in walmarts too. for adults only.

I really think your posts would benefit from some punctuation.

As for torturing cats and not dogs - I'm all for it.
Cats are sullen, arrogant, solitary, disdainful and aloof.
Dogs are friendly, Playful, loving, loyal and gregarious.
Cats are what urbanised man has become; dogs are what he used to be when there was less schizophrenia and social/mental disease.
As for chickens - they are too stupid to know they are being killed - so what's that problem?
Cows and pigs are more intelligent and deserve the best treatment and a swift painless death. But bacon tastes good, pork chops taste good, and as for a good rib-eye steak - need I say more?

yes, you are right! cats are like philosophers. and dogs are like big brother housemates. and yes, its very hard to feel empathy towards stupid. maybe some pity. and torturing stupid makes me feel strong and good human. i am vegetarian but i know how delicious meat can be! have you tasted yet korean cuisine?! hot dogs and all! altho i like cats more. and here is the modern arts shaped dessert:
video-installation Sex and Death, which includes a segment in which he killed a cat and masturbated over the cat's dead body.

This is quoteable!

How dare you pretend to agree with me you odious little toad.
Cats are nothing like philosophers! They are much more like sociopaths and psychopaths.
I don't eat animals that are potentially members of the family - so no dogs for me.
I I do not condone torturing any of my food, as that can make the meat taste bad.
But torturing cats is okay.

Here's one for you Chaz. I love cats but I also love this site, therefore any story it features:
http://www.27bslash6.com/missy.html

Dogs are creatures that inspire and provide love.
I can hear you all know - but don't give me that BS about anthropomorphising - the anthropoid animal shares the same mammalian emotional spectrum. In the same way cats inspire selfishness and distain.

http://www.beagle-puppy.info/Beagle-Puppy-9.html

sorry. think that you are a cat and i am your torturer. feeling better now?

you may know it better. torturers without empathy?

potential starter is all dogs from korean?

sounds like hitler unites us. he was a vegetarian and a dog lover. so, what is your favorite cat meat recipe? do they taste "intelligent" and better like pigs and cows if you dont torture them?
what is cats and cows IQ for "the best treatment and a swift painless death" or do you have double standard IQ-tests for cats only? what about dogs and pigs IQ and taste differences?

This is ridiculous! How do cats do this? My take is most pet owners are pretty sad and needy in the first place and dog owners more than most. We ought to bring back the dog-licence. Pick your fucking dog-shit up! Not that I've much love for cats either and I've had charge of both.

Oooooooooooooohhhh. (raises his handbag to his chin). Did we touch a raw nerve???

WHy not go and live in an neighbourhood without Chavs and you will know what I mean.