Animal sentience

MangoHorsEy

#21

@Jchess202 said in #1:

Do you believe that non-human animals can have a spiritual life?

Horsey

@Jchess202 said in #1: > Do you believe that non-human animals can have a spiritual life? Horsey

igmo_fitzpatzer

edited

#22

@wowbagger I'll proofread anything you write or critique anything you request, or whatever, okay?
Hang in there

edit: @Noflaps Dogs seem to enjoy eating. ironic

@wowbagger I'll proofread anything you write or critique anything you request, or whatever, okay? Hang in there edit: @Noflaps Dogs seem to enjoy eating. ironic

DogyBrown

#23

Animals respect nature and live in harmony with the nature.They dont want more than they need.That makes them spiritual and wise.We make fun of animals being stupid,Maybe we are the stupid ones.With our greed and hate towards each other and how we pollute and disfrespect nature,earth

CountDorio

#24

@DogyBrown

If animals "respect" nature, then that implies they are already sentient. Animals are a "part" of nature but their existence isn't what some existentialist philosophers would call a "problem for themselves." I think the big question here is what would happen if we somehow made animals become "like us" in the sense that we're sentient. Animals aren't greedy, hatefilled, or generous, or kind or anything like that....they're simply biological robots. I think the even bigger question becomes if we're a higher lifeform as we have sentience, do we have an obligation to give that gift of sentience to the animals surrounding us. I think the answer to that is yes.

@DogyBrown If animals "respect" nature, then that implies they are already sentient. Animals are a "part" of nature but their existence isn't what some existentialist philosophers would call a "problem for themselves." I think the big question here is what would happen if we somehow made animals become "like us" in the sense that we're sentient. Animals aren't greedy, hatefilled, or generous, or kind or anything like that....they're simply biological robots. I think the even bigger question becomes if we're a higher lifeform as we have sentience, do we have an obligation to give that gift of sentience to the animals surrounding us. I think the answer to that is yes.

salmon_rushdie

#25

@DogyBrown said in #23:

Animals respect nature and live in harmony with the nature.They dont want more than they need.That makes them spiritual and wise.We make fun of animals being stupid,Maybe we are the stupid ones.With our greed and hate towards each other and how we pollute and disfrespect nature,earth

Animals will breed themselves into mass casualty population collapses, it just rarely happens because they're in balance with one another unless that balance is interrupted somehow.

@DogyBrown said in #23: > Animals respect nature and live in harmony with the nature.They dont want more than they need.That makes them spiritual and wise.We make fun of animals being stupid,Maybe we are the stupid ones.With our greed and hate towards each other and how we pollute and disfrespect nature,earth Animals will breed themselves into mass casualty population collapses, it just rarely happens because they're in balance with one another unless that balance is interrupted somehow.

igmo_fitzpatzer

#26

Salmon_Rushdie is correct. We've the 'fight for life' system Earth. Struggle against opposition reveals a nutrient.

Dukedog edited

#27

As mentioned mourning behavoir has been observed as has compassion and kindness

You know it when you see

I do think there may be a certain spiritual essence in animals

Assuming we can define spiritual

Without our preconceptions

I don't know what a whale thinks
About what I think
And he probably doesn't care

Lol ,they're like tt way....

Well anyway
Ig
The mortal
Need hope...

Ofc question
The question
Of sentience
Within animals

Undeniable

As mentioned mourning behavoir has been observed as has compassion and kindness You know it when you see I do think there may be a certain spiritual essence in animals Assuming we can define spiritual Without our preconceptions I don't know what a whale thinks About what I think And he probably doesn't care Lol ,they're like tt way.... Well anyway Ig The mortal Need hope... Ofc question The question Of sentience Within animals Undeniable

DuMussDieUhrDruecken

edited

#28

there's observations that elephants not only have names for one another, but each a different name, for a same other elephant... like you call my aunt 'mrs.Dumus', i call her 'auntie' and my uncle calls her 'joe'.
similar with dolphins.
..and look how the childs play - how could they not have a "soul" or "spiritual thoughts" when grown up - see how parents raise their children.
spoken language may not be overrated. apes or also meerkats have distinct sounds \ whistles \ utterings \ cries for different predators on them.
whales, ravens, parrots, meerkats, ... many intelligent animals live in groups and their "expertise" might yet only be superficially studied or known or thoroughly understood by us.
which altogether imo points to us not having so much right in feeling any superior to "non-human animals"

there's observations that elephants not only have names for one another, but each a different name, for a same other elephant... like you call my aunt 'mrs.Dumus', i call her 'auntie' and my uncle calls her 'joe'. similar with dolphins. ..and look how the childs play - how could they not have a "soul" or "spiritual thoughts" when grown up - see how parents raise their children. spoken language may not be overrated. apes or also meerkats have distinct sounds \ whistles \ utterings \ cries for different predators on them. whales, ravens, parrots, meerkats, ... many intelligent animals live in groups and their "expertise" might yet only be superficially studied or known or thoroughly understood by us. which altogether imo points to us not having so much right in feeling any superior to "non-human animals"

Alientcp

#29

@Jchess202 said in #1:

Do you believe that non-human animals can have a spiritual life?

You have to define spiritual, as it is quite a vague term.

But as far as I know, humans are the only ones that believe in the supernatural.

Some animals are conscious and are aware of some kind of meaning of death, at least they understand it to a degree, and thus, mourn their dead, but thats about it.

While some animal language is relatively complex, I doubt it extends to a point of having an actual conversation. So, if they actually do believe in the supernatural, their language wouldnt be complex enough to communicate it to others, and we wouldnt be able to tell, as they dont exhibit behavior of worshiping anything.
They obviously cant build temples, but they dont seem to visit what we could call "sacred places" either.

It is possible that some may ask themselves about the origin of thunders and other natural events, which in essence, are the primordial gods for a smart enough sentient being, but again, we wouldnt be able to tell.

@Jchess202 said in #1: > Do you believe that non-human animals can have a spiritual life? You have to define spiritual, as it is quite a vague term. But as far as I know, humans are the only ones that believe in the supernatural. Some animals are conscious and are aware of some kind of meaning of death, at least they understand it to a degree, and thus, mourn their dead, but thats about it. While some animal language is relatively complex, I doubt it extends to a point of having an actual conversation. So, if they actually do believe in the supernatural, their language wouldnt be complex enough to communicate it to others, and we wouldnt be able to tell, as they dont exhibit behavior of worshiping anything. They obviously cant build temples, but they dont seem to visit what we could call "sacred places" either. It is possible that some may ask themselves about the origin of thunders and other natural events, which in essence, are the primordial gods for a smart enough sentient being, but again, we wouldnt be able to tell.