ShadowStarshine and Avi discuss consumer ethics ShadowStarshine 2025-07-14 | Avi's sound got messed up on my recording end. It's been a while.
Shadow Starshine and Dr Avi discuss Abortion ShadowStarshine 2020-11-29 | A weird conversation. We explored a lot of territories, and I couldn't find any hard lines to draw and so discussed abortion rights in terms of multiple small values along a scale.From what I could gather, I had settled on factors such as:Can feel pain.Physical development.The knowledge that it is out in the world.Interaction with the child in other ways/bonding.Avi only affirmed sentience as a value and exploring that took us to some funny places too.Don't know how much I'm settled on any of it. As said, I want some sort of allowance for people to not live a life of obligation to something they don't want. I just don't think that's any good for parent or child, so I think it's a factor that might override a lot of my other expressed values, and the question is when the tipping point occurs.Here's a follow up conversation between us as well:Shadow StarshineYesterday at 3:04 AMQuestion, do physical disabilities confer less value? Like, if you're full hawking in a wheelchair, is that fine, since it doesn't necessarily impact your mental life?Shadow StarshineYesterday at 3:14 AMAlso: Do you consider intelligence as an aspect of sentience?AviYesterday at 7:48 AMPhysical disabilities per se do not confer less value so long as the mental is the same.[7:50 AM]Not sure about the second one if intelligence per se in it of itself an aspect of Sentience or if Intelligence is for all intents and purposes an aspect of Sentience since it just ends up yielding a deeper experience.[7:50 AM]Like I don't consider a calculator sentient[7:51 AM]But once sentient, intelligence can act as sort of a multiplier, bit again I don't know if it per se is an aspect of Sentience of if it just yields thatAviYesterday at 8:02 AMWould have to think about the second question, not sure. First question is easy though.Shadow StarshineYesterday at 11:27 AMAnother question: Would you agree that your view on sentience simpliciter being of value, thus leading to statements such as "Blind people have less moral value", is absurd by most people's view? Actually, perhaps as a pre-cursor, do you even care if something is absurd to most people's view? Do you have value for that?AviYesterday at 12:13 PMAt this point in time, I don't think I care if something is absurd to most people's view. Regarding the statement "Blind people have less moral value", being absurd to most people's view, that's an empirical question suited for a study to properly be done (ie: in such a manor which participants answering it are divorced of any fear of social penalties for affirming such a view, to be sampled in a representative way, to have the question asked in proper context....etc) I don't have that data so I'm agnostic on that.Shadow StarshineYesterday at 12:20 PMYeah, I don't have data on statements like "It's okay to murder blind people" yet I'm confident to make a statement about it. I agree it's empirical, and I agree we don't have data, but I think there may be enough knowledge in the common domain to make estimations. Unless you think this particular question isn't fueled by enough common domain information.AviYesterday at 12:20 PMYes, exactly.[12:21 PM]I share the intuition that "It's okay to murder blind people" would be absurd to most people. I think there's enough common domain information to lean strongly in that direction.[12:23 PM]I don't share the intuition that "blind people have less value" (meaning any amount of less value all else except the sentience drop from blindness held equal). I don't know. I don't think there's enough common domain information to lean strongly in that direction.Shadow StarshineYesterday at 12:23 PMI think there is, but, I can at least acknowledge what your position is.AviYesterday at 12:24 PMWell in the absence of shared intuition on the matter, I guess the only way to resolve is empirical data.Shadow StarshineYesterday at 12:24 PMaye
The Definition of Veganism Debate Ishka Vs Shadow Starshine ShadowStarshine 2020-09-06 | Another Re-Upload from a debate I had on the discord server Arthuria. Highly recommend this server to anyone who enjoys debating or listening to debates. It has a great mix of competitiveness and mutual respect.
ShadowStarshine Vs Deonteleologist ShadowStarshine 2020-07-29 | This debate is from a Discord Server I recently joined called Arthuria. The debate proposition was set by me "There are no convincing vegan arguments."
Shadow Starshine and Footsoldier Discussion ShadowStarshine 2020-05-18 | Footsoldiers channel: youtube.com/channel/UC75a5GNNdsohKwidfAWowyAPigs in Gas Chambers report: ingentaconnect.com/contentone/ufaw/aw/2007/00000016/00000004/art00010
Shadow Starshine Discussion with Food 5 Thought ShadowStarshine 2020-04-19 | I get together with Food 5 Thought aka Veggies 4 Thought and discuss a list of prepared questions revolving around the topic of veganism. He's a good lad and his channel is: youtube.com/channel/UCKJlKW5CPSsl3S4gEgSBuigHope you enjoy the subject matter.
ShadowStarshine at Cube of Truth ShadowStarshine 2020-02-02 | I have a chat with someone at a Cube of Truth meeting in Vancouver. Yes, my name is Rod. I didn't press too hard on things he said because it's just a friendly chat, but there was some stand out things to me:He seems to agree that just because something is unnecessary doesn't make it bad, yet continuously falls back to it's bad because it's unnecessary.He's also willing to agree on the limits of human infant cognition, yet still ascribes more capabilities to other animals.
AY & I,H - Semantic Confusion. ShadowStarshine 2020-01-18 | Following from my video on Formalization, I watch and comment over a debate between Ask Yourself and I, Hypocrite where the entire problem hinges on not sharing definitions. What do we do when our interlocutor uses words differently than us? What options are available? Well, in this video, we can see what we *shouldn't* do if we want to actually make progress.
The Good and Bad of AYs Rhetoric ShadowStarshine 2019-08-11 | It's good to be focused, but it's not good to go out on cheap "wins". Anyone who can recognize what you're doing is not going to consider them wins.
Shadow Starshine and Chris Branciere discuss Veganism and Empathy Part 1 ShadowStarshine 2019-07-28 | Had a good chat with Chris on empathy. Study under discussion: journals.plos.org/plosone/articleid=10.1371/journal.pone.0010847Sorry it took so long, Chris was busy.Chris's Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC8UgI9mRpycV0_kgB9MjClg
Vegan Debate: Shadow Starshine vs Logan Blake ShadowStarshine 2019-07-15 | Kind of a waste of time. Conscientious Omnivore, if you're out there, hit me up.
Amusing ShadowStarshine 2019-07-13 | The blog, if you're interested: philosophyindy.wordpress.com/2019/07/12/ask-yourself-the-discord-cuck
Analyzing AYs Rhetoric ShadowStarshine 2019-07-02 | Rhetoric is no substitute for substantive arguments.I couldn't find the footage I wanted at the time, but here you go.Temple Grandin Beef Processing:youtube.com/watch?v=VMqYYXswono
Addressing 10 Vegan Arguments ShadowStarshine 2019-06-18 | Found this website, thought I'd give a response a go to it. If you think I didn't address a point well, leave a comment.
Earthling Ed Vs Brown Student Commentary ShadowStarshine 2019-06-06 | Here I look into the points raised by both sides, the ways the conversations flowed and how both sides could have better represented their views.Let the vegan discussion always be the highest level we can get it.
Criticizing Vegan Footsoldiers Arguments ShadowStarshine 2019-06-06 | This is just sort of an exercise in critical thinking rather than any particular "debunking". I don't know health science or environment to any degree that I would want to argue for either side.I still super support Vegan Footsoldier, his channel is here:youtube.com/channel/UC75a5GNNdsohKwidfAWowyA
AY continues to fail reductios - The underlying problem. ShadowStarshine 2019-05-18 | AY's desire to connect reductios to humans in someway just proves the point that Humanity is a value we commonly share. Whether it be a visual representation, a clone, the idea of a dualistic soul transfer, when we regard it in some way connected to humanity, we value it.Can he make the experience of a cow valuable without mentioning humans? Has he been intuitively understanding the value of humanity without acknowledging it?
Cog Diss/AY debate breakdown - AY fails to reductio again. ShadowStarshine 2019-05-14 | A person was trying to use my position on the AY server to see how it would go. Here I break down the bad reductios that don't work and talk about AY's nonsense about what counts as an argument and why he's either being stupid or a dick for no reason.
Shadow Starshines Response to Bryn and Insup. ShadowStarshine 2019-05-10 | I know it's an old video, but since it's still circulating as a defense, I thought I'd go over it.My voice is a bit raspy, I'm coming off a cold. During the video I said I'd go over the Identity thing, but Bryn and Insup never brought it up again and the video was already long enough. Maybe I'll do a whole separate video on just that one point.
Vlog #6 Why Im an atheist ShadowStarshine 2011-08-06 | Just a quickie as to why I now call myself an atheist. The shirt is a mecha-nerd beating up a jock. Comments and criticisms always welcome.
News #3 Rebecca Watson: Reply to awatson945, razorlikeblue, l33tm0nk3y ShadowStarshine 2011-08-04 | Sound is off, this shirt is too big and I say words that aren't words. Still, I hope I get my message across. Thanks for your questions.Comments and criticisms always welcome.
Philosophy #2b Vegetarianism: Not a necessary ethic. Part 2 ShadowStarshine 2011-07-30 | Finally done. Comments and criticisms always welcome.
Vlog #5 Conspiracy Theory Atheist, Cross-Faith Respect, Veg Pt2 ShadowStarshine 2011-07-28 | Quick update since I haven't done anything in a while. I think I might do an expanded version of Cross-Faith Respect one day. I have a lot more to say about it, but these blog posts won't get done if I obsess over every detail like I do my other videos. Comments and criticisms always welcome.
Vlog #4 Living Forever, Star Trek Next Gen, Vegetarianism Pt2 ShadowStarshine 2011-07-20 | Just some thoughts and updates. Feels like a lazy/terrible video though. Comments and criticisms always welcome.
Vlog #3 Youtube Like/Dislike Ratios, Top Rated Comments and Channel News ShadowStarshine 2011-07-14 | Comments and criticisms always welcome.
News #2 What I learned from Rebecca Watson and the Elevatorgate ShadowStarshine 2011-07-13 | Special guest Rose joins me. Comments and criticisms always welcome.
Philosophy #2a Vegetarianism: Not a necessary ethic. Part 1 ShadowStarshine 2011-07-06 | This video lays the ground work for discussing the ethics of vegetarianism. I apologize if my writing is too small. Comments are criticisms always welcome.
Introduction ShadowStarshine 2011-06-22 | Short intro of who I am. Criticisms, comments and suggestions always welcome.
Vlog #1 Atheist does not mean Rational ShadowStarshine 2011-06-15 | Criticisms, comments and suggestions always welcome.
Philosophy #1b Answering: What is the meaning of life? Part 2 ShadowStarshine 2011-06-11 | My first webcam video, feel free to leave feedback on the channel. If anyone can think of a way I did not approach this question, please leave a comment about it.
Philosophy #1a Answering: What is the meaning of life? Part 1 ShadowStarshine 2011-06-11 | My first webcam video, feel free to leave feedback on the channel. If anyone can think of a way I did not approach this question, please leave a comment about it. I don't know why I talked about bowling so much.
