Bloggers are making a big deal about a Swiss government ethics panel ruling that plants have “rights” and that it is morally wrong to mistreat them. If they lived in Trinity Park here in Durham they’d find that same way of thinking on the neighborhood listserv every time a utility company trims a tree. Here’s what the normally sensible Swiss have done:
A “clear majority†of the panel adopted what it called a “biocentric†moral view, meaning that “living organisms should be considered morally for their own sake because they are alive.†Thus, the panel determined that we cannot claim “absolute ownership†over plants and, moreover, that “individual plants have an inherent worth.†This means that “we may not use them just as we please, even if the plant community is not in danger, or if our actions do not endanger the species, or if we are not acting arbitrarily.â€
Glenn Reynolds yesterday linked to a video that illustrates the absurdity of the panel’s position.
