A philosophical question

[darknessLPs]

The scenario is this:

You are in a small garden separated from the rest of the world in every way, other than you, no living creature can leave or enter this garden. Within this garden there is a single butterfly and a single spider and no other living creatures aside from the plants.

You have arrived upon the spider and butterfly just as the butterfly has landed in the spiders web, the butterfly is only partially caught and with your help it can be freed easily without damaging the web or the butterfly and without injury to yourself. The spider has also noticed the butterfly and is heading to it but at a distance far enough that you can still help the butterfly without being injured by a spider bite.

Here is the question, do you free the butterfly and leave the spider to starve as there are no other food sources for it, or instead do you allow the spider it's meal and leave the butterfly to die.

What is your decision and your reasoning?

[Miss_Kat]

One butterfly is not going to sustain the spider forever. It's going to die very soon one way or another. The butterfly will at least flourish until it eventually dies of natural causes. Thus, I'd save it. I also have an irrational fear of spiders, so I'd likely squish the bastard anyway.

[Elensaar]

I think I'd have to agree with Miss_Kat, the spider is dead anyway - a single butterfly will not sustain it for very long. Thus if I save the butterfly I will have the company of two creatures for a while.

Can't agree on the fear though. I've met some very cute spiders. ;)

[CheGiuAn]

What about you eat both? eve you can'T live forever without food >.> (just joking)

Well, as far as I know, the Butterfly is a symbol of quick-changing, & short life (they live about hmmm? lets say, 2 hours?)
idk yet what the spider means.
anyways, I'd leave the spider to eat the butterfly. Is the lion evil if he kills the deer to feed it's pups? (idk what 'cat-pup's' are called >.<)
my question is -> where did this came from?
I mean, everybody has a 'garden', wich you can visit during meditation, and it represents your soul, the symbol of garden, a house in the middle of the garde, a flower, the fence, the gate of the garden all represents your soul, your characteristics.

returning to the subjec, as I said, I'd leave things to happen as they wre written, stronger eats weaker, laws of nature, etc.
but I think, in such a question doesn't matter the fact the spider will die in some time anyway.
What is what you'd like to know?

Edit: Sorry for my bad engrish

[cheechako]

Is it a tall spider? :)

[Miss_Kat]

(idk what 'cat-pup's' are called >.<)

For big cats, they're called cubs. For small wild cats/domestic cats, they're kittens.

[CheGiuAn]

For big cats, they're called cubs. For small wild cats/domestic cats, they're kittens.

omgwtf >.< me noob, thx

[Savageperson]

There is a trick here. There is three of us. Let the spider eat the butterfly, and feed the spider bits of my flesh. Butterflies are to hard to track, catch, and feed. Butterfly wouldn't accept my flesh. Spiders maybe.

[Whisp]

I was going to say let the nature take its course and the butterfly being eaten by the spider.
But then I remembered, what good are spiders contrary to this:

Spoiler

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[CheGiuAn]

But now really, I'm curious, why do you ask?

[Devalish]

I'd let the spider have it's ways with the butterfly,
as i have a fear of butterfly's and moths ...

no, really, no joke, it blows.

[CheGiuAn]

sirsly? wil lyou believe that I fear frome minecraft zombies? that's why I always (almost always) play on peaceful.
when I hear a zombie saying 'EHHHHHHHHH' in a cav, in the next millisecond, my left hand on the Esc button, my right hand on my heart >.>

[Kwilt]

The core here is longevity. Spiders live much shorter lives when they starve, compared to butterflies. So, I would of course save the butterfly, and probably squash the spider just to save it from starving.

If we're in a garden, then rationally there would be flowers. As such, the butterfly has nearly unlimited resources to survive from. The spider? Well, he has the butterfly and nothing else. He's all but dead. (That is, as long as he doesn't eat you afterwards.)

[ilovekintoki]

I would let the spider eat the butterfly and then crush the spider cause I'm an evil bastard.

[CheGiuAn]

as I said, butterflys live about 2 hours.
and as I said, I think, this question is not about to make the right decision (tu support the lifeform wich can live longer)
anyways, I haven't figured out yet, what's the poit of the question, but I'm quite curious >.<

[Kwilt]

as I said, butterflys live about 2 hours.
and as I said, I think, this question is not about to make the right decision (tu support the lifeform wich can live longer)
anyways, I haven't figured out yet, what's the poit of the question, but I'm quite curious >.<

Not necessarily true. Monarchs can live up to 2 weeks.

[BinoAl]

This isn't a philosophical question :0
A philosophical question would be...
Can good exist without evil?
or...
What is consciousness?
This is just a normal question :p

[CheGiuAn]

Not necessarily true. Monarchs can live up to 2 weeks.

Well, learning is good :D
anyways, here in Transilvania (if someone just mentions Dracula, I'll SSSSSSssssssssss for shure >,..,<) I've seen som little purple butterflyes that live only about 2 hours.
But they live everything a man can live trough his life, just in 2 hours >.>

[Gilberreke]

I'm mostly curious, so I would gather some small leaves, throw em in with the butterfly and watch the spider do its whole "clean up the web, cocoon in the butterfly, fix parts of the web" routine.

Butterflies aren't nearly as fascinating as spiders.

Now, if I came across some ants, that's a different story. Ants are nature's most fascinating creatures and I'd start breeding them, make nests, experiment with food supplies, etc.

[BinoAl]

I would say who gives a crap about these bugs, and look for people. haha

[CheGiuAn]

Can good exist without evil?

It can. It can't. It both can and can't. It neather can, nor can't.
(I remember that Iread something like this in a zen buddhist koan, not specifically with good & evil)
Depends on your opinion. (Just like everything) It costs you just a few words to change the world. 'I believe!' / 'I don't believe'
(although, dealing too much with such thoughts are dangerous, the more time you spend with an idea, the more powerful it'll become, and in some time, it'll be able to rule other ideas or even your mind, (as it seems on me >.<) so be careful)

[David367th]

I'm mostly curious, so I would gather some small leaves, throw em in with the butterfly and watch the spider do its whole "clean up the web, cocoon in the butterfly, fix parts of the web" routine.

Butterflies aren't nearly as fascinating as spiders.

Now, if I came across some ants, that's a different story. Ants are nature's most fascinating creatures and I'd start breeding them, make nests, experiment with food supplies, etc.

Their the only other animal on the world other than humans that have actual wars (i think monkeys are debatable)

[Savageperson]

I'm mostly curious, so I would gather some small leaves, throw em in with the butterfly and watch the spider do its whole "clean up the web, cocoon in the butterfly, fix parts of the web" routine.

Butterflies aren't nearly as fascinating as spiders.

Now, if I came across some ants, that's a different story. Ants are nature's most fascinating creatures and I'd start breeding them, make nests, experiment with food supplies, etc.

Their the only other animal on the world other than humans that have actual wars (i think monkeys are debatable)

Debatable? What is your opinion?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/ ... neighbours
http://www.cracked.com/article_18766_5- ... izing.html

[Gilberreke]

Their the only other animal on the world other than humans that have actual wars (i think monkeys are debatable)

Urban legend. There's tons of animal species having wars between groups. There's tons of species killing for fun. Chimpanzees are known to have complex behavior, such as genocide and envy, which is leagues above social territorial behavior such as wars.

Ants however, are the only species, together with humans, to cultivate plants for survival (Atta and Acromyrmex species).

Dolphins are the only species together with humans to have sex for fun, though complex behavior such as homosexuality is also found in birds and other species.

[Savageperson]

Dolphins are the only species together with humans to have sex for fun, though complex behavior such as homosexuality is also found in birds and other species.

I do believe Dolphins are also the only other species to kill for fun too.