Yes, of course. And anyone who really believes otherwise, when *truly* starving, is lying to themselves.

No. We're supposed to learn those previously unlearned survival skills and to take risks in nature without throwing away our humanity.

One of humanity's greatest gifts is the extraordinary ability to think and learn. What, am I supposed to pretend that I'm not a capable person who can't learn about hunting or plants? Then that makes me an evolutionary dead-end and perhaps not even human.

If however you remove all food sources except for the dead corpse, then I leave the poll and condemn you for trying to create a twisted fantasy world that you call "hypothetical" that should never be allowed to exist in our world, and trying to challenge human morality for the sake of your morbid and twisted curiosity.

Ditto. Am with you on this one.
Humans are best when we fight for our survival.
I would attempt to eat the plants in the area - if that does not work, I would cook the body and eat it. Survival and hunger.

You do realize that you repeated the same argument for why people hate minority groups that demand reparations, welfare programs, and social justice, right?

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I'm unsure whether I'd consider it detestable, with how desperate I'd likely be. Ideally, I'd decline, but morals and the like quickly go out the window when things go south in the worst ways, and that's understandable.

Plus I've eaten whatever's been left in the fridge or on the shelf long after they've expired just because I've felt a bit hungry. Being hopelessly famished would be another thing entirely.

I voted no. But I probably totally would, if I couldn't eat anything else and was actually, badly starving.
But that body would be my last option. I'd try fishing first and vegetation. Oh and... Bugs. Would probably resort to bugs first, most are edible after all.

As a member of a very small and insignificant ethnic minority, I think that minority groups DEMANDING welfare programs, social justice and reparations should do some scuba diving in an active volcano.

By the way, that still doesn't change the fact that the poll's scenario is extremely limiting and requires you to pretend that you're an invalid whose only options are eating the corpse or die.

Morals aside, there's quite a few pragmatic issues with the situation in question. Basically, eating any corpse whose source and cause of death is unknown is very dangerous, not to mention the possibility of getting some extremely nasty illnesses from eating a human corpse (piron diseases are especially terrible, the example of Kuru will give you a good idea of what I mean). Additionally, human meat is apparently low in nutrition, which is one reason why carnivores usually avoid human meat (that and apparently we taste terrible). In that situation, it's probably safer to risk eating some plants than going for any corpses you find (and they'll probably give more nourishment anyway).

If you were in the situation of some historical prisoners, such as those mentioned in Dante (I forget where in the Inferno), then the situation changes a bit. Starvation is the single biggest cause of cannibalism, as human history can attest, but it is not the only reaction. Personally, in that situation, I think I'd end up going for my own flesh or just get depressed and wither away. Hypotheticals are difficult.

Edit: The situation I mentioned of the historical prisoners is found in Canto 32 of the Inferno, the man's name was Ugolino della Gherardesca. He, his sons, and his grandsons (who were also considered to have cooperated in the crime, otherwise they would not have been given such a penalty: Abrahamic religions condemn collective guilt) were imprisoned together in a tower and a corrupt man (Archbishop Ruggieri) had the keys tossed into the Arno… so they starved to death. This was considered a horrifying act, even with the bitterness felt against Ugolino at the time (although the [redacted] was never punished for it). So it only makes sense that Dante has Ruggieri together with Ugolino in the lowest pit of Hell (for betrayers: Ruggieri betrayed his office as a clergyman to enact some terrible vengeance)… with Ugolino eternally gnawing on Ruggieri's skull.

Edit 2: What I forgot to mention about diseases in corpses is that whatever form of any given disease on a corpse is most likely to be in the form which the species of the corpse can catch. Thus a human corpse is likely to have diseases in forms other humans can catch. Definitely something you do not want to eat.

Last edited by blackluna at 12:00 am, Oct 25 2023

That's not going to stop people from calling you a "white supremacist" (No, I am not joking).


That's the problem with a lot of hypotheticals. That's why I said "Kill them all" for the trolley problem several weeks back.

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Do you live in a country without universal or guaranteed healthcare? Just wondering if you have a complete concept of aid that you imagined when you said you despise it. Also can you define social justice & reparations for me, because I am doubting your knowledge on the nuance of those words & ideas as well.

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Internet Lurker At Heart

No. I'd eat grass first. boil it in water first if possible. though there's no way I'd find a pot in the middle of nowhere.