Is there any real moral argument against the consumption of human flesh?

Question

Take Star Trek, for example, with all of their replicator devices, capable of producing food, clean uniforms, and other items as necessary. In a world where one can taste a human liver paté without any of the messy consequences, what could possibly be wrong with trying a little human? Forget the replicators, just wait till we perfect cloning individual body parts without creating an actual life. Oh, I wouldn't want to kill anyone, but once we can cheaply and efficiently produce these delicacies, you can bet i'm turning cannibal. Never thought of that, did you?
I'll take a thigh... and a couple of butts.

What could be wrong with that?

Well the first 7 answers fail to address the question... who is talking about murder? For that matter, who is talking about emergencies? We're merely discussing violence-free CHOW.

Answer 1

You don't even have to wait that long. Some people WANT to be eaten after they die.

And if you think about it, almost all people actually are. It is only a question of who or what. Are the worms going to eat you? Does that mean anyone who already eats anything that eats worms is ALREADY a cannibal?

Once you have eliminated practical concerns, probably the only argument that could be marshalled against eating humans is the concern over people who will take it too far... who will want to eat a specific human or who will not wait until someone is dead. But since we arguably already have these people already engaging in such behaviours, I don't see that we have anything to lose.

So as far as I'm concerned - Bon appetit!

Answer 2

Since Doctor Y already provided a reasonable response to an interestingly reasonable question (infinitely more so than asking, What's the meaning of life? for the 1000th time), I'll just take the two points and offer one last thought.

Independent of murder, I cannot think of a single moral argument in opposition to the consumption of human flesh. From the simple nail-biter to the more extreme blood-suckers out there (and they do exist), crude versions of cannibalism are already accepted morally, if not socially.

In fact, I would prefer my children benefit from the potential nutritional value than a smorgasbord of insects and underground grubs several hundred years from now.

Answer 3

Dr Y nailed it again. Most fears we humans have of matters of the flesh involve expansion into other areas such as murder. And lets face it , when you think cannibal - you think of shrunken heads and limbs on a skewer. Perhaps the practice is a bit over-stigmatized - but then again there where entire civilizations that did the whole kill thy enemy and eat them practice, so no one can say the fear is without warrant.

Answer 4

Eating human flesh in extreme situations, such as that of the plane crash in the Andes portrayed in the movie "Alive", is one thing. It's gross but people can forgive people who are starving.
Eating human flesh as a delicacy is just gross. Why not raid funeral parlors? You don't have to kill those corpses.

Answer 5

Killing other human to eat, is the basis of moral argument.
If someone is already dead and you don't have any other food to eat, then it's gross, desperate experience but nothing to be morally ashamed of.
If you have other food source, you would destroying the dignity of dead body, that's socially so unacceptible.

Scientifically, we are biologically programed not to eat the same species, there are records of mad cow disease - like symptoms for people secretly practiced cannibalizm. Mad cow disease started as farmers fed beef elements to the cattles!!

Answer 6

ok, a couple of things.

1st - your a freak
2nd - I dont like ANY kind of liver so that is out
3rd - I prefer breasts and wings and since humans dont have wings and breasts are primarily fat, I dont think Im gonna jump on them either.

Damn, I must be bored to be answering this question...lol

Answer 7

Tell me,how is that taste?

Answer 8

go get some help!

Answer 9

are you ok

Answer 10

It is barbaric,uncivilized,and gross.