A controversial thought… but, when considering the 7 billion male chicks that are destroyed within a day of hatching (per year), what sort of difference exists, between the mind of a baby chick, and a baby human? The conscious experience, (perhaps not yet encumbered by self-modeled reflection, and the psychological maturity of complex thought), still exists in some way. It is like something, to be a living being. Mammals and Birds share a common ancestor, a few hundred million years back, and we both are born, innately knowing, and preferring some things over others.
If there were a debate, with one side seeing infanticide as worse than what we do to chickens, it would probably just come down to ‘the argument from potential’ – and yet… chickens are smarter than human toddlers. I guess that argument needs to change to ‘long term potential’?
Hmm. Interesting thought, anyway.
The topic of how babies and chicks are similar interests others too. (“Born Knowing”, Giorgio Vallortigara)