Are Animals Sentient?

[benin]

Yes they're sentient, they're as sentient as you and I are. We are all animals anyway.



My dog used to always like my sister and mom better than me no matter what I did, and I never could figure out why. That could explain it.

lucy and your dog have a lot in common

[samlad]

Yes they're sentient, they're as sentient as you and I are. We are all animals anyway.



My dog used to always like my sister and mom better than me no matter what I did, and I never could figure out why. That could explain it.

My old dog used to only shag MY leg! Perhaps I should have stopped giving him Scooby-Snacks! LOL!

[nicegirlsarenice]

[/COLOR][/B] lucy and your dog have a lot in common

I think a lot of differences as well.... I wanted him to like me and I would never let Lucy lick my face.

[Westsidex]

Sentience is generally taken as being self-aware, that is, being aware of yourself as an individual different from others in your group. You can feel/emote, and perceive abstract notions, as well as being able to anticipate and, most importantly, think. This leads to what some say is the ultimate proof of human intelligence - the ability to create, whether it be an atomic bomb or a wonderful piece of art.

Animals do not seem to think, but seemingly can can feel emotion and the most intelligent may even be aware of themselves as individuals. Cows being led to slaughter have been discovered to be crying, aware of their impending deaths. Chimpanzees can be taught sign language, and have used signs to communicate their feelings. Crows can count. Dolphins recognise themselves in mirrors.

Do we share the Earth with all its other forms of life, or is it right that we dominate it?

Animals can and do think. They have no concept of time. One thing i will say about animals is they are far more accomadating then humans. With an animal its nothing personal. With a human it is nearly always personal. Animals eat each other and sometimes us out of neccessity. Humans attack each other, rip each other off and turn on each other and where is the neccessity there?

Westside.

[Lucy Chambers]

I think a lot of differences as well.... I wanted him to like me and I would never let Lucy lick my face.

Quite. Nor would I let you lick my shoe. Although thats all your fit for

[Doozer]

Animals dont really think they react and as same said they can be conditioned to react a certain way by positive/negative reinforcements.

[nicegirlsarenice]

Animals dont really think they react and as same said they can be conditioned to react a certain way by positive/negative reinforcements.

*sigh*

You are wrong. Other animals think, plan and respond.

Positive/negative reinforcements? Humans also react that way. You punish them for something and they won't be likely to do it again.

Many humans sell their souls for money. That is positive/negative reinforcement, the same with prison, the same with being beaten up. These ideas you make up about why humans are "superior" are based on prejudices and misconceptions that boil down to "oh, well obviously the animal is only doing/thinking something stupid while humans are so much greater".

For example let's say you had a slave in your house. And you fed the slave when he/she did things you liked and hit him/her when he/she didn't, with no hope of getting out of the situation or fear of it. Would you not expect the slave to do things that you wanted then? Of course you would. Of course you would.

You're falling into the "blaming the victim" trap.

[Doozer]

*sigh*

You are wrong. Other animals think, plan and respond.

Positive/negative reinforcements? Humans also react that way. You punish them for something and they won't be likely to do it again.

Many humans sell their souls for money. That is positive/negative reinforcement, the same with prison, the same with being beaten up. These ideas you make up about why humans are "superior" are based on prejudices and misconceptions that boil down to "oh, well obviously the animal is only doing/thinking something stupid while humans are so much greater".

For example let's say you had a slave in your house. And you fed the slave when he/she did things you liked and hit him/her when he/she didn't, with no hope of getting out of the situation or fear of it. Would you not expect the slave to do things that you wanted then? Of course you would. Of course you would.

You're falling into the "blaming the victim" trap.

Yes NGAN I know it works on humans.
Now why do you think that animals have the capacity to form ideas and ineffect start thinking.
Human beings have this ability because of the superior abilities of their brains which animals do not posses.
Even the mechanisms that occur for thinking to take place is a very complicated system that can only be found in humas themselves

Now NGAN your turn
Convience me

[samlad]

Yes NGAN I know it works on humans.
Now why do you think that animals have the capacity to form ideas and ineffect start thinking.
Human beings have this ability because of the superior abilities of their brains which animals do not posses.
Even the mechanisms that occur for thinking to take place is a very complicated system that can only be found in humas themselves

Now NGAN your turn
Convience me

Let me pose this question: if animals can learn, is that not a form of thinking? Some say that intelligence is the capacity to learn, although there are many different arguments about this.

[Doozer]

Let me pose this question: if animals can learn, is that not a form of thinking? Some say that intelligence is the capacity to learn, although there are many different arguments about this.

Intelligence has nothing to do with thinking.
Yes there are many arguments of thinking such as Gardiners theory of thinking / musical emotional movement etc, And teh G theory

Thinking is in a completly seperate area. Mental models, spatial reasoning Dual systems in deductive reasoning
all require a big brain cell with all parts of teh brain working like in humans. Animals do not have this. Even monkeys who are our closets relatives do not have this capactity. Funnily enough, though on a much simpler scale it is rats who have a more simelar brain structure as we do