| HN Mirror

> But lots of animals commit suicide. You don't need to talk about lemmings.

We have to talk about lemmings when we are talking about conscious human-like suicide because lemmings are the only animals that purportedly had conscious intentional suicides like human being. After all, the philosophical debate was "the difference between humans and animals". I actually brought up honey bees committing suicide ( once they sting, they die ). But the professor rejected it ( rightly so ) because it wasn't conscious and intentional suicide. For example, a parent storming a burning building to save their child and dying in the process isn't suicide in the human sense. A female octopus giving birth and dying isn't suicide.

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/07/30/octopus-c...

A soldier going to war and dying isn't suicide. A mother bison trying to save her calf from predators and dying in the process isn't suicide. There is a difference between sacrifice and intentional conscious suicide where no one benefits.

> And your discussion sounds with your professor sounds really stupid

It wasn't. It was one of my favorite classes in college and hence why I decided to double major in philosophy. It was the first time I can say I really thought about something. If the class was "really stupid" it wouldn't have left such an indelible mark on me.

> he literally claimed to be the ultimate authority on lemmings?

Yes. He believed it was a fact just like the earth was a sphere is a fact. And ultimately, he is the one grading the term paper and he is the ultimate authority. Do you really expect a professor to back down on things he believe to be facts?

> An academic with a chair said that?

Yes. What's so surprising about that? Do you know what an academic with a chair is? An expert. Someone with authority.

> Sounds so unlikely I'm not sure I believe you.

Are you an "associate professor" by any chance? What is so unbelievable about it? Why are you so defensive?