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does "need" really exist when it comes to survival??


WTFauKorean

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it started very childishly i guess you could say. i was eating and my brother asked me what i was eating. i said food, he said why?, cuz im hungry, why?, my brain tells me to, why? becasue i dont want to starve to death, why? because i need to live, why?
suprisingly i could not answer him. not because i didnt know my purpose in the world but because i couldnt answer why is survival really a need? or is it more of a want? something we desire and yet label it as something nessesary?
tell me what you think becasue i must know the answer.
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Survival is necessary for life. Why? Because, if you're not surviving, you're dead. Why? This is the point where asking more why's would be pointless.

You don't [i]need[/i] life because if we [i]needed[/i] life, there wouldn't be death. Here's the thing though. We [i]need[/i] death.
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[quote name='BehindTheMask' timestamp='1294124271' post='4910745']
Anyone saying we need to live or to die needs to show the logic of how life or death is inherently good.
[/quote]
Not really. A computer "needs" to follow its programming, in the sense that it can only do that. Humans have programming as well. We don't need to bring morality into play.
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[quote name='GenzoTheHarpist' timestamp='1294124614' post='4910754']
Not really. A computer "needs" to follow its programming, in the sense that it can only do that. Humans have programming as well. We don't need to bring morality into play.
[/quote]

Mis-use of the word "needs." A computer can only follow its programming. It has no free will. A human needs to eat in order to survive, but its survival itself is not a need, unless you take morality into consideration.
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[quote name='BehindTheMask' timestamp='1294124744' post='4910758']
Mis-use of the word "needs." A computer can only follow its programming. It has no free will. A human needs to eat in order to survive, but its survival itself is not a need, unless you take morality into consideration.
[/quote]
Most humans can only follow their programming in regards to seeking survival. If most people were told to fast until they died, they would absolutely not have the self control to follow through with it. So I would say most people do need survival.
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[quote name='GenzoTheHarpist' timestamp='1294125378' post='4910769']
Most humans can only follow their programming in regards to seeking survival. If most people were told to fast until they died, they would absolutely not have the self control to follow through with it. So I would say most people do need survival.
[/quote]

That still isn't correct. Although people do follow their programming, it does not follow that it is needed. If we were to take personal preference(happiness) into consideration of how needs are right or wrong, then if I would gain 1 more "point" of happiness by punching 100,000 babies then the total loss of happiness by doing so, is it right for me to punch 100,000 babies?
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[quote name='BehindTheMask' timestamp='1294125586' post='4910771']
That still isn't correct. Although people do follow their programming, it does not follow that it is needed. If we were to take personal preference(happiness) into consideration of how needs are right or wrong, then if I would gain 1 more "point" of happiness by punching 100,000 babies then the total loss of happiness by doing so, is it right for me to punch 100,000 babies?
[/quote]
I am not caring about whether it is right or wrong. You tried to make that a necessary part of this conversation and it just isn't so. If you were programmed to only take baby-punching into account then yes you would need to do it. That doesn't mean it's right or wrong. That's another issue altogether.

If you have only one option, then you need to take that option. If most people have mundane choice between survival and death, they will only be able to pick survival. So survival is a need for these people.
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[quote name='GenzoTheHarpist' timestamp='1294125751' post='4910774']
I am not caring about whether it is right or wrong. You tried to make that a necessary part of this conversation and it just isn't so. If you were programmed to only take baby-punching into account then yes you would need to do it. That doesn't mean it's right or wrong. That's another issue altogether.

If you have only one option, then you need to take that option. If most people have mundane choice between survival and death, they will only be able to pick survival. So survival is a need for these people.
[/quote]

I explained why we need to consider morality.


If survival is a need, then you must show why it is a need.
If survival is not a need, then you must show why it is not a need.

I think you misunderstand something. There must be two options, in order for there to be one option(as option implies more than one action that can be taken). If everyone chooses to survive, that does not automatically make it a need. A "need" is defined as "Something required." What is survival required for?

If you say survival is required for living, then you must show that living is a need. If living is a need, then you must show for what it is a need. This is going to be an ad infinitum.

You also assume that the option of suicide is absurd. This is false.

If we were to follow your logic, then it would be this.

1) People have a need to survive
2) If a need is not met, people will choose the option to fulfill the need.
3) People can only fulfill their needs, they have only one option
4) Survival is a need
5) Suicide is impossible because people must fulfill their needs.

However this is clearly not the case, as people kill themselves everyday.
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