The correct answer is C.He states that revenge does not yield profits at market.
Indeed, Starbuck’s opposition to Captain Ahab’s revenge is based both on moral and pragmatic grounds. He is a devout Quaker who finds that trying to kill an animal that has no mind is an act of blasphemy upon God’s creation. He is also a married man with a child and a wife who expect him back home, and considers that risking the entire ship on a lunatic’s pursuit risks his chances to ever seeing them again. He also considers it stupid to focus on a single sperm whale with so many around that can yield a great profit.