Are There Sentient Animals?

[CuttingEdge100]

Axiom,

Unless I've been taught grossly wrong (and I am not uneducated), you're completely correct there. The way a plant reacts to light and grows towards vines is not a conscious awareness.


Jadzia,

It is all to do with how one side of the plant stem is getting more light than the other side. The darker side undergoes more cell division, causing it to grow more, so causing the stem to arch into the light.

It's the same reason why plants in the dark go straggly, as there's more cell division all round.

Correct

 

[Canadave]

Obviously it's not acceptable to eat humans

Why is it obvious that it's not acceptable to eat humans, but it is acceptable to eat other animals? Real reasons please. Not just because humans say so: If might made right, then there would be no reason to protect children, the poor, or the weak.

To put it simply, we're high-level omnivores. We generally aren't cannibalistic because we're a species that places high value on self-preservation (theoretically, anyway), and cannibalism would be contrary to the furtherance of our species. And we eat animals because that's where we evolved to fit in on the food chain, simple as that.

 

[Cheapjack]

I think the message of ST4 was ironic.

They came looking for intelligent life on Earth and find whales!!

 

[tharpdevenport]

Defensive behavior or behavior wired into a brain of an animal, and the acts that come from that, don't make it sentient, I would say. But just a few weeks ago I was watching a special and they talked about a dolphin or group of dolphins that came to the aide of a swimmer; they recognized it wasn't a person, used tactics to battle the enemy, and brought them to safety. If you can recognize a form of life is different than you, and is in danger, then come up with and implement a plan, I got to think you're sentient in some capacity.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I think this is a big part of it. I think many many animals understand more than humans realize. For example, when I call out my cat's name, he responds.

My Gerbil knows his name, his name is Toby and when I shout his name he comes out of his bed to me, if I say any other words he does not respond. There is one other words he responds to and that is "do you want a chocolate" at which point he bounces out of his bed like lightning. That's no word of a lie, whenever I give him a chocolate I used to say it to him and now he knows what it means.

My Budgies know what the words "Shut up" mean too. ha.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I think this is a big part of it. I think many many animals understand more than humans realize. For example, when I call out my cat's name, he responds.

My Gerbil knows his name, his name is Toby and when I shout his name he comes out of his bed to me, if I say any other words he does not respond. There is one other words he responds to and that is "do you want a chocolate" at which point he bounces out of his bed like lightning. That's no word of a lie, whenever I give him a chocolate I used to say it to him and now he knows what it means.

My Budgies know what the words "Shut up" mean too. ha.

Sounds like Pavlovian conditioning to me... in this case an auditory stimulus associated with a certain action or reward or avoidance of punishment.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

I think this is a big part of it. I think many many animals understand more than humans realize. For example, when I call out my cat's name, he responds.

My Gerbil knows his name, his name is Toby and when I shout his name he comes out of his bed to me, if I say any other words he does not respond. There is one other words he responds to and that is "do you want a chocolate" at which point he bounces out of his bed like lightning. That's no word of a lie, whenever I give him a chocolate I used to say it to him and now he knows what it means.

My Budgies know what the words "Shut up" mean too. ha.

Sounds like Pavlovian conditioning to me... in this case an auditory stimulus associated with a certain action or reward or avoidance of punishment.

My pets never get punished, they just know when I want them to shut up.
I once had a Gerbil that used to run around the floor, come to me, run up my trouser leg, climb up onto my shoulder and nibble at my beard stubble. He'd then climb down onto my knee and watch TV with me.

Animals are very sentient. When you've had as many pets as I have and seen the different things they do, different ways they react and the uniqueness of each one you KNOW they're sentient beings.

 

[Rack of T'Pol]

Obviously it's not acceptable to eat humans

Why is it obvious that it's not acceptable to eat humans, but it is acceptable to eat other animals? Real reasons please. Not just because humans say so: If might made right, then there would be no reason to protect children, the poor, or the weak.

Humans have souls, animals don't?

 

[Zameaze]

Obviously it's not acceptable to eat humans

Why is it obvious that it's not acceptable to eat humans, but it is acceptable to eat other animals? Real reasons please. Not just because humans say so: If might made right, then there would be no reason to protect children, the poor, or the weak.

Humans have souls, animals don't?

No, it would take a "bible thumper" to make that claim. I think if we look at who's cruel to whom, we'll see who has the high ground in the soul department.

 

[Rack of T'Pol]

Why is it obvious that it's not acceptable to eat humans, but it is acceptable to eat other animals? Real reasons please. Not just because humans say so: If might made right, then there would be no reason to protect children, the poor, or the weak.

Humans have souls, animals don't?

No, it would take a "bible thumper" to make that claim. I think if we look at who's cruel to whom, we'll see who has the high ground in the soul department.

Please...

I am about as far as you can get from a "Bible Thumper".

 

[Zameaze]

Humans have souls, animals don't?

No, it would take a "bible thumper" to make that claim. I think if we look at who's cruel to whom, we'll see who has the high ground in the soul department.

Please...

I am about as far as you can get from a "Bible Thumper".

Sorry, I didn't mean you. You put a question mark at the end of "Humans have souls, animals don't?" so I interpreted that as meaning is this a good argument? and answered it accordingly.

 

[Rack of T'Pol]

No, it would take a "bible thumper" to make that claim. I think if we look at who's cruel to whom, we'll see who has the high ground in the soul department.

Please...

I am about as far as you can get from a "Bible Thumper".

Sorry, I didn't mean you. You put a question mark at the end of "Humans have souls, animals don't?" so I interpreted that as meaning is this a good argument? and answered it accordingly.

No probs. Just making myself clear. (And I do believe that only humans have souls...As a matter of fact, this looks like a great place to post my thoughts/questions about the human souls weighing 21 grams as measured by weighing dying people, and noting the difference in weight before and after they die.)

 

[Amaris]

My Gerbil knows his name, his name is Toby and when I shout his name he comes out of his bed to me, if I say any other words he does not respond. There is one other words he responds to and that is "do you want a chocolate" at which point he bounces out of his bed like lightning. That's no word of a lie, whenever I give him a chocolate I used to say it to him and now he knows what it means.

My Budgies know what the words "Shut up" mean too. ha.

Sounds like Pavlovian conditioning to me... in this case an auditory stimulus associated with a certain action or reward or avoidance of punishment.

My pets never get punished, they just know when I want them to shut up.
I once had a Gerbil that used to run around the floor, come to me, run up my trouser leg, climb up onto my shoulder and nibble at my beard stubble. He'd then climb down onto my knee and watch TV with me.

Animals are very sentient. When you've had as many pets as I have and seen the different things they do, different ways they react and the uniqueness of each one you KNOW they're sentient beings.

Do you think your gerbil is sapient?

 

[iguana_tonante]

^ More than himself.

 

[Zameaze]

All right, I guess my sojourn here is through.

The water is too deep,
Thoughts in here abound,
I've waded in asleep
And have met the more profound.