Quote:
Originally Posted by emptypepsi
Beth, interesting. Do you feel the reason many animals tend to live by instinct isn't so much because they're limited to it, but rather they are forced to?
What I wonder isn't so much whether animals experience pain, but rather in what sense are they conscious of pain, and what does it mean to them. What I’m saying is that human beings, as social beings, impute meaning to our physiological processes in a way that is denied to non-human animals.
I would also say that Choice is that unique gift humans are blessed with that animals are not. And I don’t mean that a hyena for example does not know when to attack its victim or when to wait. That hyena will only make a choice based on the situation (Is it a good time to hunt? Are there many animals to hunt? Am I in great danger if I hunt? And so on). However, the moral choice is not there; what will this do to the family of my victim? For what reason do I hunt these animals if I can eat grass of vegetables? Why can I not eat vegetables? And so on.
But I would say that animals can be greedy, maybe even have hints of malice. Logic is there at least in bits as why else would a squirrel save nuts for the winter?
|
Well I am not Beth but I would like to answer. I think the question you asked about the family of the victim is pretty much an argueable one. Of instance, humans do not ask that question when they kill someone or something, they are doing it the same as the animal, because of necessity. The sniper in Iraq, example only, does not ask the questions before he drops the hammer, if he did he may act. Most predators are also omnivores, they will eat foliage when thwy have to, but they know their bodies and meat is a necessity and so they eat when available. Much can be said about these things as being instinct, I agree but it is a learned instinct, just as the Human animal has learn some of his instincts.