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Then there has yet to be a non-animal society on this earth.
I don't think I have the the right to take a life, I think that society has the right to decide to take a life. There are many situations in which society has decided it is ok to take a life and those circumstances have varied widely across times and cultures and the death penalty is hardly the most permissive that has ever existed, and it is a valid topic of debate.
So, if simply saying that "killing can be done" makes us no better than animals, then I think we're still looking forward to the day when humanity blossoms forth on this little rock.
As an aside, no I don't think we're substantively different from other animals. No I don't think there is a soul, life force, or energy that binds us all together. No I don't think life (not even a human life) has inherent value. No I don't think the human condition is perfectable through human endeavors (that is, I'm not a secular humanist). No, I don't think there is a morality towards which mankind should strive. Yes, I still try to be what I think is a good person.
If that means I'm just mucking about with the hogs, then so be it.
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