How does starbuck interpret ahabs obsession with moby-dick?

Starbuck believes that Ahab's obsession with the whale is emotionally impulsive and suicidal. Starbuck, who is a religeous man, feels that it is folly for a man to have a vendetta against an animal, one of God's own creatures.

Starbuck believes that Ahab's obsession is madness, and he adheres to the respect man should have for nature. He's a careful, quiet, and religious man who belives that Ahab's obsession is in direct conflict with God's will; man should never be angry at an animal for defending itself; the will to survive is instinctive in an animal, not a malicious act.