Is it OK to kill an animal for pleasure? If not, why not?

No.

It's wrong, imo.

Discrepance: I'm not a vegan.

Hate seeing hunting (even fishing) guys with tindering eyes on TV though.

Why do you believe it to be wrong though - ie. what thought process leads you to arrive at the assumption that it's wrong?

Yes, assuming the meat won't go to waste.

I think you should kill animals only if you have to for other concerns. Like for food if in trouble or because they are a significant risk to a farm or domesticated animals you have and they are not in an endangered species list. You should never feel pleasure for doing that even then, even if you will have the pleasure of not having the alternatives happen (best of 2 bad things). If the animal is not in an endangered list and training for being a good hunter is necessary you can take pleasure in learning to be efficient in that task but still feel sad for the animal and not let it go to waste either. I mean i can see value in knowing to hunt if needed and survive (my grandpa did that). I can see value in knowing how to skin an animal and put everything to good use. I still wouldnt take pleasure in participating in it, only in knowing i can do these things if needed and i would try to never need it. I dont have to kill a small animal or take a bird's 2 eggs if i know i will be saved in 1 day and remain hungry for 1-2 days if i have water. We are better than that. We can survive it and not be so selfish.

The reason is because that animal has a life that is of value. Better let it serve its proper natural function in the ecosystem, whether that is to survive or to be chased and eaten by another animal that needs to survive or teach its young how to do it too. The natural order of things is like that. You do not depend on them anymore for survival as other animals do. Let the poor animals have their life and enjoy their freedom and natural adventure out there. They have a hard life as it is but they like it as evidenced by the fact they want to survive when under risk and by the pleasure they take in enjoying little things. Those will be gone forever if you kill it. That bird will not wash its feathers in the lake, wont build a nest for its eggs, wont fly high, sing and try to find a mate, it wont feed its young or teach them to fly, it wont play in the snow the next day under a bright sun after the storm. You will eliminate all these beautiful things and for what? I take pleasure in knowing these things can be allowed to happen without me stopping them. Even when i kill a spider i feel stupid guilt of some level. I prefer if i can catch it and wont escape, to trap it and put it out in the garden (need a dvd cylindrical spindle plastic cover and paper lol). It did nothing to me other than be a little nuisance that in the end is not that remarkable to worry about.

I may take pleasure in getting rid of fruit flies or other flies because they are a nuisance that wont be tolerated but if i could kill millions of them outside i doubt i would find any pleasure in doing that. They serve some balancing function everywhere.

I might get pleasure out of killing bacteria though that may harm a system.

We do a lot of damage to the ecosystem with our greed as humans. We should make our killing of animals for food more careful and less ugly or torturous. I am not some vegetarian maniac and i am rational enough to know our civilization would have been impossible without the animals for food and work. What purpose does it serve to be a stupid hypocrite like that. Focus on non animal food for health reasons but dont eliminate animal protein from your diet. It is important. But as we advance we must find ways to make it less ugly and eventually even eliminate natural protein/animals fed for killing and eating if we can reproduce protein that is of same and better quality by other synthetic means that dont victimize the taste and nutritional value. We can get there eventually. Its possible to reproduce our food that way eventually and lose no pleasure in the experience of eating.

Its easier to feel good about killing something for self defense if you were attacked though. And we have our prejudice and made up affection for certain animals and not others. Like few would feel sad for a snake or a crocodile that just killed another smaller crocodile, lol or a shark chasing you. And yet they have survived for hundreds of millions of years and now we threaten them all. And an animal that is chasing you to run you over is looking for trouble if you didnt irritate it. But to go out as a sport to kill animals that do not harm anything is kind of pathological in my opinion if it doesnt serve some sensible purpose of population control or exercise in being an effective hunter celebrating with friends and family the food. And why do you need to do that more than 2-3 times in your life if you do not live in the wilderness?

What about plants?

Plants that are delicate nice flowers are probably a shame to cut unless the recipient is a nice girl lol. But at least plants do not have the feelings that animals do. They do not feel pain. Their existence is more mechanical. I would feel like a loser to cut a small pine tree trying to grow up though (you kill a big promise, that thing fought to grow up for a year or two and its still little and vulnerable but can go places).

For food purposes i have no problem at all using them. My family grows regularly many such plants. But a tree has a long life ahead of it, it will put extra value to the system. How do you feel to cut a 3000 year old tree for example or even a 100 year old olive tree? Its probably severe pathology to do something like that. They hide their location in California (some 4k+y old ones) to avoid people going to cut them. Imagine that.

My father told me a pine tree broke due to recent snow back at home and they had to cut it. That tree was there for decades. It feels like a loss to me even if i am now so far away from it. I have trees (almond, peach, pear ) i had planted with seeds as a kid that are now old trees. You have to believe in it all. Its great to see them grow. Its a good memory to recall as they struggle initially, measuring their height every month, and to see them years later have their first flowers. I have once as a kid taken out a flower bulb (lily or something similar?) from a school trip and full of pride brought back at home for mom. It still comes out with flowers each year decades later. What would it be like to go and destroy that? All those are little sentimental unimportant things in the large scheme. It seems to me though that when you have given up on those fine emotions it becomes a lot easier to fail also where it matters.

More people would die in auto accidents if hunters didn't keep deer populations in check. Also, some animals like wild hogs are an invasive species in Texas and do around $400 million in damage annually (mostly to crops I guess).

I don't know if that makes it "right" to kill them for pleasure only but it's probably worth considering.

Condo I do not think that is relevant. The ones who kills these animals most often do not think about that, their intention is just to have fun. So I think it is about the intentions. For example someone just killing a random person for fun is still wrong even though in the end this random person happens to be some maniac serial killer. Imo.

Its up to each individual to make up their own feelings as to when its OK to kill animals. Well its what everyone does! Regardless!

Most people would not avoid playing a game like football because of the insects they might accidentally crush. Conversely most people would think shooting the next door neighbours dog as wrong, at the very least on the same level as smashing up their computer.

Food, well hardly anyone kills animals themselves for food. They rely on others – seems another topic? Still if you are a hunter of some sort you probably think its OK to kill higher animals for the right sort of pleasure.

Personally I just make it up as I go along. Relying on my feelings of guilt to guide me. I think wasps are the only animals I can remember going out of my way to kill, and that probably has something to do with my first clear memory being, being stung by a wasp at age 3.

I did do a one one week practical course on Adipose tissue at the UEA as part of a Biology degree, that involved killing some rats. I did not actually kill the rats but I did dissect them very shortly afterwards. It felt midly uncomfotable but not exactly wrong.

i think you can assess whats right and wrong by the affect of the behavior this may not result in clear cut answers every time but its a good guide. Generally speaking morality evolved because it was related to the peace security and survival prospects of the civilization. civilizations that adopted too much of a corrupt morality fall apart eventually because of this.

but sometimes violence is needed and is a necessity. if you are struggling for food and need it to survive then it is a necessity to seek it and do what is necessary to attain it. weather that is killing another animal for food or if necessary killing another person to still there food. but that is only when it is a necessity for survival not when it is to get money to fund a drug habit or buy nice new things etc.

when a population of animals is a threat to ourselves to an extent that can threaten our safety or mortality then taking necessary measures is warranted if they are not then its wrong. if we have a very large population of animal X and they are coming into our towns and citys and killing people or threatening peoples safety and trashing the area etc then of course culling them may be a necessity and a justified one.

if However they are a reasonable size population not harming us and they just get on with there lifes and we head into the woods to hunt and kill them just for the fun of it that is clearly wrong.

When I first saw the question I did not think of hunting or the eradication of vermin. The question is specific to killing for pleasure. I thought of children wanting to kill birds for fun. I do think it's "OK" to kill for pleasure, but I think Harper Lee makes a good point about destroying something that brings others pleasure such as a song bird. I would not use the word "sin" but think of it in terms of maximizing pleasure, the pleasure derived from the song bird's music being of greater value than that derived from killing it. Of course that's a subjective analysis and strictly a matter of personal opinion. Also keep in mind that humans and some other species are protected by law. Hunting in some areas is seasonal and requires a license. Be sure to check with local authorities in your jurisdiction beforehand.

Another question could be: does killing produce pleasure? If thinking in terms of maximizing pleasure, my opinion is no. The thrill of the kill may bring temporary pleasure, but it cannot be sustained. Once that thrill has subsided, the perpetrator becomes dissatisfied and wants another thrill. He or she kills again and again, but can never again achieve that initial exhilarating thrill. The ultimate overall net result is frustration and increased displeasure. The person will either realize the futility and quit killing, or the killing will escalate until out of control.

Killing animals for pleasure could, in some cases, transition to killing humans for pleasure. I'd say it should be avoided.

I can play a bit of piano and guitar, Sloppy. And I'd never intentionally offend you.

Only if "it" is a machine that is programmed to be an ahole! I predict drone wars soon by amateurs loving taking them down. That will be just the beginning of the new hunter era. Then and only then pleasure will enter the hunting game for me. I can respect AI if it is better than me working for a better world not more evil and for more power to aholes. I will not stand for that. It will be the first time i will take pleasure in killing "something".

The same could be said for lunch, going for a nice walk, etc.

You are thinking of torturing animals, I think. Hunting or fishing for sport doesn't tend to lead to murder.

Likely not, but then hunting involves a good deal more than simply killing, and I doubt people who hunt do so for the killing part specifically as much as for the entire experience.

People who enjoy killing for the act of killing itself are probably closer to animal torturers than hunters.

We are most likely in agreement.

I enjoy fishing, but it isn't because I have anything against fish. I doubt that they enjoy the activity as much as I do.

Thanks, I appreciate that.

That's most certainly true; however, the activities you've listed do not ordinarily disturb the mind.

Most fish lead boring lives, adding some excitement to their listless existence seems a benefit.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=be...AUoAQ#imgdii=_

how could you ever kill something so cute? look how cute it is.

Let is start cutting the only 2-3 trees in your yard next to that river to build its dam, that had been there for over 30 years, giving you great shade and scenery and see how fast you get real mad about them finishing their job any time soon! (imagine some picturesque location near a river where you had a nice summer home)

I had a squirrel by the way destroy the intricate rope system i had outside in the garden to hang clothes in the sun for drying after washing them. That demonic little thing wanted to cut all the ropes in all possible ways and directions to render everything useless.

Now i wouldnt actually like killing it but i can see myself sending it in orbit with my foot if i could get a chance while in action and being very happy about the Delta-V delivered, after it had ignored some dozen attempts to scare it away! (persistent little sob lunatic bandit)