Are there, or are there not, sentient animals.

[quickquestion]

There is no pinnacle of evolution. No best. When humans are all dead and gone, extinct, Tardigrades will still be around.

incorrect. Humans are the pinnacle of evolution because they have the ability to modify the quality of their lives and make better lives for themselves and animals. but most of them dont want to. thus that makes them the worst.

[Raider5678]

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sentient

ADJECTIVE

• Able to perceive or feel things.

Dogs can certainly feel hungry and they can feel pain.

Whether or not that's at the level of self awareness is another argument.

They perceive- as other have pointed out- things like 40KHz ultrasound (which we can't).

So they are sentient.

 

Failing to hold a conversation is a different matter.

(Unless, of course, you have a different definition of the word)

Oh come on and get over this nonsense.

We've already discussed about sentience, and all this WAY back in the first page.

We've specifically been trying to find a definition and a word for what we would describe as a higher intelligence.

Stop just finding something to argue with.

You cannot, in any way, tell me you think this is affecting your life.

Just because you have your amazing vocabulary, is no reason to continuously hinder this discussion by nitpicking insignificant details so everyone gets off track.

As this thread has progressed, we got to the point where we were attempting to distinguish animals into different categories based on intelligence. NOT HEARING. NOT SMELL. NOT ANYTHING ELSE.

So stop bringing it up! Seriously, this is just annoying now!

If you can actually have a conversation, then contribute.

Do you have the magical word to describe what we're talking about?

If so, by all means fricking tell us.

If not, stop getting your panties in a bunch about what words we're using.

[Itoero]

incorrect. Humans are the pinnacle of evolution because they have the ability to modify the quality of their lives and make better lives for themselves and animals. but most of them dont want to.

That's a very simplistic view. Most people life their lives as best as they can, given the circumstances.

[John Cuthber]

Oh come on and get over this nonsense.

We've already discussed about sentience, and all this WAY back in the first page.

We've specifically been trying to find a definition and a word for what we would describe as a higher intelligence.

Stop just finding something to argue with.

You cannot, in any way, tell me you think this is affecting your life.

Just because you have your amazing vocabulary, is no reason to continuously hinder this discussion by nitpicking insignificant details so everyone gets off track.

As this thread has progressed, we got to the point where we were attempting to distinguish animals into different categories based on intelligence. NOT HEARING. NOT SMELL. NOT ANYTHING ELSE.

So stop bringing it up! Seriously, this is just annoying now!

If you can actually have a conversation, then contribute.

Do you have the magical word to describe what we're talking about?

If so, by all means fricking tell us.

If not, stop getting your panties in a bunch about what words we're using.

Actually, what happened at the outset of this thread was that you came up with your own- non-standard definition

"I defined it as A: Being able to think logically. B: Having emotion and being self aware C: Having a language of some sort."

Plenty of others disagreed.

 

Having started from a non-agreed definition, this thread was bound to go nowhere.

Since no two of you seem to agree exactly what characteristic(s) you are talking about there can't be a word for it; fricking or otherwise..

 

You cannot, in any way, tell me you think this is affecting your life.

[Ten oz]

incorrect. Humans are the pinnacle of evolution because they have the ability to modify the quality of their lives and make better lives for themselves and animals. but most of them dont want to. thus that makes them the worst.

Natural selection is about who lives to reproduce. It isn't about intelligence. To say we are the pinnacle implies a linear path from worst to best. To imply that means you do not understand how evolution.

 

As for modify the quality of our lives, don't Ants modify the quaity of their lives by building colonies? A beaver modifies the quality of their lives and the lives of other animals by building a dam.

[Raider5678]

F

 

Natural selection is about who lives to reproduce. It isn't about intelligence. To say we are the pinnacle implies a linear path from worst to best. To imply that means you do not understand how evolution.

 

As for modify the quality of our lives, don't Ants modify the quaity of their lives by building colonies? A beaver modifies the quality of their lives and the lives of other animals by building a dam.

Fine.

I give up.

Humans are nothing different from any other animal.

We aren't smart, we aren't more intelligent, we don't have any extra brain power.

We don't change the world around us any more then other animals. We change it just as much.

We aren't the only species capable of language, animals can talk to each other just like we can.

[Ten oz]

F

 

Fine.

I give up.

Humans are nothing different from any other animal.

We aren't smart, we aren't more intelligent, we don't have any extra brain power.

We don't change the world around us any more then other animals. We change it just as much.

We aren't the only species capable of language, animals can talk to each other just like we can.

I never said all of that. Humans do change the world to a greater degree and are capable of many things, like language, that no other animal aren't. However we are an animal. We share the same biology and almost all the same genetic code (DNA). Our brain power, intelligence, smarts, or whatever you want to call it is an adaptation just as a giaffe's long neck is.

 

Amongst ourselve their are differences. Some humans can speak 10 languages while other just one, or even none. Does speaking 10 languages make someone more sentient than someone who just speaks one? What is the measurement of a more capable mind amongst humans? These things all exist in degrees. Animals other than humans do many things we do they just do them to lesser degrees and vice versa. Humans run, but to a lesser degree than a horse. I don't see where the line in the sand is. The point when something is done a such a degree better that we must recategorize; sentient human v non sentient animal.

[Thorham]

Humans are nothing different from any other animal.

Indeed. We're just another species.

 

We aren't smart, we aren't more intelligent, we don't have any extra brain power.

We don't change the world around us any more then other animals. We change it just as much.

We aren't the only species capable of language, animals can talk to each other just like we can.

You're applying human values to evolution and the rest of the animal species. Our values are irrelevant to evolution, and they're irrelevant to other species.

[Delta1212]

I'd say Cyanobacteria did more to fundamentally change the world than humans have so far.

[quickquestion]

Indeed. We're just another species.

 

You're applying human values to evolution and the rest of the animal species. Our values are irrelevant to evolution, and they're irrelevant to other species.

Incorrect.

[Thorham]

Incorrect.

 

And why exactly is that incorrect?

[Itoero]

F

 

Fine.

I give up.

Humans are nothing different from any other animal.

We aren't smart, we aren't more intelligent, we don't have any extra brain power.

We don't change the world around us any more then other animals. We change it just as much.

We aren't the only species capable of language, animals can talk to each other just like we can.

Incorrect. Animals(other then humans) can communicate but that does not mean they have language....or maybe a very primitive form, compared to our kind of language. Edited May 2, 2017 by Itoero

[Raider5678]

Incorrect. Animals(other then humans) can communicate but that does not mean they have language....or maybe a very primitive form, compared to our kind of language.

Then why is it, that when I said this everyone told me I was incorrect?

[dimreepr]

Then why is it, that when I said this everyone told me I was incorrect?

 

Because it's a little arrogant and not as simple as you suggest.

 

For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much – the wheel, New York, wars and so on – whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man – for precisely the same reasons – Douglas Adams

[Thorham]

Then why is it, that when I said this everyone told me I was incorrect?

 

Because it read as sarcasm, perhaps?

[Function]

What about magpies?