Animals Deserve Human Rights As Non Human Persons Don't They?
Ranked #5,285 in Pets & Animals, #133,580 overall
getting to know animals better by understanding their psychology and behavior
Have you ever asked yourself how animals think? Do you wonder if it is possible to get inside an animal mind? Can you work out the psychology and intelligence of an animal?
When asked the question Do Animals Think? Professor Marc Hauser of Harvard University and author of the book Wild Minds says "Of course they do how could they not think and manage to survive in the world?" Whilst it might seem common sense to any pet owner that animals think things through, there is a line of scientific thought that says if you can't actually 'see' the mind working that means we haven't got any evidence to go by. They argue that it is all too easy to fall into the trap of anthromorphism or giving animals unjustified human characteristics.
One of the biggest challenges of course is uncovering the way an animal communicates. Humans from a young age can tell you how they feel and what sense they are making of their world. This presents challenges with animals that can't speak.
Nevertheless the subject of animal intelligence is a big research area, evolving from the pure behaviorist studies of B.F. Skinner through the developments of human Cognitive Psychology to a wide area of interest in animals from apes and african grey parrots to whales and white eyed parakeets.
You name it cats, dogs and elephants have all been studied to find out how they categorise things, what their memory is like, how their spatial awareness works, if they can use tools, and whether they can reason and solve problems. Higher order indicators of an intelligent mind include language use, math(s) skills and a concept of self. Most recently interest in animal sentience has been raised with the documentary Project Nim the subject of a film by British director, James Marsh in 2011
Contents at a Glance
Super Smart Animal Tweets
Do Animals Think?
are animals sentient beings; do animals think and have emotions?
Super Smart Animal Links
- Super Smart Animals
- Prepare to be amazed, entertained and even outwitted by the world's Super Smart Animals.
- Animal Cognition
- Learning is the process of picking up new skills.
- Animal Language
- Language is a way of communicating through sound, where specific meanings are used in certain circumstances.
- Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition - Stan Kuczaj
- Dolphin Intelligence
“Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve.E.Fromm”
Inside The Minds Of Animals
Inside the Animal Mind: A Groundbreaking Exploration of Animal Intelligence
Amazon Price: $11.95 (as of 06/01/2012)
Animal Psychology Tweets
“Human folk are as a matter of fact eager to find intelligence in animals. - Edward Thorndike”
Should Pets Be Called Pets?
do the words we use influence our attitude to animals?
There is a vigorous debate happening in the world of animal rights and ethics about the language and words humans use towards animals.
Examples in the debate include the ideas of Professor Stanley Coren who suggests that the words we use to talk about animals influences our behaviour towards them, the argument that animals like rats should not be called vermin because it is derogatory, and that pets should really be called companion animals
Should we call the animals that live with us Pets or Companion Animals
Pets
ellagis says:
I´ve never liked "companion animals". It makes me think that they came into the world just to serve humans - which, obviously, it´s not true.
darciefrench says:
They'll always be pets- it's way too easy of a word to say
karmicchristian says:
Unfortunately the choice is limited. IMO, animals are more compassionate than many humans.
Companion Animals
elizabethknows says:
Using the word pet does come with some thought... Thinking of using the word does not mean a lot to me, I prefer to call them animals. :)
sousababy says:
They are family to me.
DavidDove says:
When asked why her "pet" was so important to her one widowed old lady said "Because it's another heartbeat in the house". What a lovely explanation, so companions I think
ChrisDay says:
They are companions - they share their lives with us.
Companion Animal Tweets
The Minds Of Animals
Project Nim
the subject of a 2011 film by James Marsh
click for wiki article
Project Nim Tweets
Project Nim Links
- Project Nim
- Daily Telegraph news stiry about the film
- Project Nim
- Filmmaker review
Project Washoe
click for wiki article
Project Washoe Link List
- Washoe Tribute
- Washoe statue and tribute
- Friends of Washoe
- Tribute site
Washoe You Tubes
Animal intelligence; experimental studies
the original work of Edward Thorndike
"If great apes were shown to have consciousness something like our own, I would consider it among the scientific discoveries of the century."
Peter Singer - The Great Ape Project
The Great Ape Project
Between a man and a chimpanzee this difference is only 1,23%. This similarity is proved, for instance, with the fact that chimpanzees can donate blood to humans, and vice-versa.
"A chimpanzee is not a pet and can not be used as an object for fun or scientific experiment. He or she thinks, develops affection, hates, suffers, learns and even transmits knowledge." Dr. Pedro A. Ynterian
Follow The Great Ape Project
Marc Hauser says...
"We have a great deal of data that show what areas of the brain are activated when humans respond to various situations," Hauser points out. "Now we will determine if monkeys and other animals utilize the same brain circuits."
The Philosophy of Animal Minds
Amazon says: "The issues which are covered include whether and to what degree animals think in a language or in iconic structures, possess concepts, are conscious, self-aware, metacognize, attribute states of mind to others, and have emotions."
How Monkeys See the World: Inside the Mind of Another Species
Animal Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel or perceive.
Animal sentience is the philosophical basis of animal rights. It is a position that holds that animals experience pleasure and pain. Animal rights were famously put forward as far back as the eighteenth century by Thomas Tyron. An interesting article by Alex Kirby for the BBC in 2003 examined the possibility that animals are moral beings, in which scientists point out the difficulty of objectively proving sentience even in human beings. Nevertheless their is increasing support for the common sense that view that all vertebrates and even cephalapods are sentient.
Headline from the Animal Sentience blog
Kanzi uses language
A Parrot With A Vocabulary of 200 Words
Einstein the parrot
Stephanie White introduces the amazing word skills of Einstein the parrot.
Click here for video.
Alex The Amazing Talking Parrot
Complex Worlds from Simpler Nervous Systems
Understanding the Ancient Secrets of the Horse's Mind
The Intelligence of Crows
Joshua Klein does a TED talk on the intelligence of crows.Fascinating stuff!
Click image for video.
The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior
How Dogs Think : Understanding the Canine Mind
The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats
Do Fish Feel Pain?
Do Animals Think?
links in the debate
- Do Animals Think?
- When a fox hears the hounds baying and starts to run, is it obeying some ancient instinct, or does it 'know' to be afraid?
- Discover Magazine
- I can see the questions in their eyes, in the tilt of their ears: Who are these humans? Why do they behave the way they do?
- Psychology Today
- Language and self awareness indicators of higher thought
- Standford Encylopaedia - Animal Consciousness
- Aristotle asserted that only humans had rational souls
- Consciousness in Animals and People with Autism
- Temple Grandin, PH.D. - October 1998 Department of Animal Science Colorado State University
- Can Animals Think?
- Time magazine article
- Harvard Gazette
- Scientists think that animals think: But what exactly do they think about?
- Comparitive Psychology
- A controversial term that refers to the science of understanding similarities an differences in human and animal psychology
- Animal Intelligence
- A paper by Thorndike
- Animal Sentience
- Animal Sentience Stories about the lives of animals
Hens with chicks are well known to be protective and caring of their offspring. Not only are hens concerned for their chicks safety and well-being, but they feel empathy.
Are Animals Self Aware?
According to the Standford Encylopaedia "the problem of determining whether animals are conscious stretches the limits of knowledge and scientific methodology". Nevertheless many people sincerely believe that animals think deeply about their world.
Do You Believe Animals Have Self Awaress?
Yes of course, they ponder on the world and their place in it
sousababy says:
Some are definitely self aware.
DavidDove says:
put a mirror in front of them and observe the reaction
skiesgreen says:
Absolutely, even the smallest insect tries to avoid danger and death.
ChrisDay says:
Some certainly do have some awareness of self. Take predators who conceal themselves as they approach. Why would they and how would they if they were not aware of what their prey could see? Interestingly, the security word was 'dogbook'!
mulberry says:
Yes, as the one researcher stated, when you live with animals, take the time to interact, closely observe and so forth, you see that the differences between us are much less pronounced.
spirituality says:
Golly, the way you put your 'yes, animals think' answer makes me want to answer no. But I do think animals think. They may not ponder, but they do help out, draw conclusions, learn etc. It's certainly not simply responding to the environment.
No way, they simply react to their surroundings
karmicchristian says:
Difficult question and more difficult choices. Do they have 'self awareness' - yes. Do they have 'self consciousness' - no. Now, time to figure the difference between 'self awareness' & 'self consciousness'.
Animal Emotions and Expressions
Charles Darwins other great work
The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin, Joe Cain (Editor), Sharon Messenger (Editor)
Amazon Price: $20.47 (as of 06/01/2012)
Bloggers On Animal Sentience
- On Human-Nonhuman Relations
- Fascinating site
- Humane Thinking, from HRC | HumaneSpot.org
- HumaneSpot.org is the world's most comprehensive resource for attitude and behavior research relating to animal and environmental protection issues. The site is designed for animal and environmental advocates and is provided by the Humane Research Council.
- Project GAP
- GAP aims to defend the basic rights to life, freedom and non-torture of the non-human great primates - chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos, our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
- Sentience - South African Animal Rights Portal
- Animals in South Africa are not recognised as sentient beings. This means they are classified as objects, and therefore have no rights. This exposes them to severe exploitation like painful laboratory testing and cruel factory farming practises.
- Killer whales, dog-saving dolphins, wolves, and brilliant birds: Animals in the news | Psychology Today
- Animals continue to amaze us with their cognitive and emotional capacities By Marc Bekoff...
Animal rights books
UK Animal Rights
Wide range of web links providing animal rights information, news and resources. Browse categories or add a site. Updated regularly.
Insects Might Have Emotions Too
- Honeybees Might Have Emotions
- Honeybees have become the first invertebrates to exhibit pessimism, a benchmark cognitive trait supposedly limited to higher animals. If these
What do you think?
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sousababy
Oct 28, 2011 @ 4:33 am | delete
- Up to 80% of communication is non-verbal . . any pet owner will tell you that they can sort of figure out the emotion their pet is conveying. Animals really do enrich us, don't they (oh, but it would be so cool if they could speak, just like we do).
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TLStahling
Oct 26, 2011 @ 7:51 pm | delete
- I don't think animals know about mortality. I don't think they realize they will someday die. But there is something very special about them around human death. BTW, I love your stories.
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DavidDove
Aug 29, 2011 @ 7:32 am | delete
- In awe of how much you get into a lens, I must try harder
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ellagis
Jul 10, 2011 @ 4:24 pm | delete
- Good argument to debate about.
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skiesgreen
May 18, 2011 @ 2:56 am | delete
- This is a lovely thought proviking and interesting lens, *-*Blessed*-* and featured on Angel blessings for Dogs on Squidoo - Dog Trivia
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karmicchristian
May 14, 2011 @ 12:11 pm | delete
- Animals are far more sensible and sensitive than humans. Lensrolling to 'Is man an animal'. Thanks for the wonderful lens.
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TeamSTM
May 14, 2011 @ 5:32 am | delete
- Wowwee, what a Lens you have Here!! I love the Videos and the Information, in some cases, it make take a New Perspective on Animals!
Very Nicely Done! ;)
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reasonablerobinson
May 14, 2011 @ 6:22 am | delete
- thankyou
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ChrisDay
May 14, 2011 @ 4:29 am | delete
- Great lens but I can't support animal experimentation.
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reasonablerobinson
May 14, 2011 @ 6:22 am | delete
- neither can I although its a moot point whether observational studies are 'experiments'
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Ruthi
May 14, 2011 @ 3:56 am | delete
- Interesting topic. My pets are my companions; namely, my current canine pal, Tidbit. I've no doubt she has emotions to go along with her instinct.
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reasonablerobinson
May 14, 2011 @ 6:21 am | delete
- I regard our pets as our companions too
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mulberry
Oct 23, 2010 @ 9:44 am | delete
- It would be interesting to learn more about emotions. I see animals express sorrow, happiness, fear, boredom, humor, and more. Loved this lens. Fascinating.
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reasonablerobinson
Oct 23, 2010 @ 10:20 am | delete
- Yes, I'm sure they have deep emotions. I heard on a radio program recently that dogs can be tested for optimism and pessimism. I must find the link and add it.
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_Joan_
Oct 23, 2010 @ 9:36 am | delete
- Very intriguing information. And nicely put together, too.
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reasonablerobinson
Oct 23, 2010 @ 10:19 am | delete
- thanks for stopping by Joan
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by reasonablerobinson
Animal sentience is a fascinating and controversial subject. Animals deserve our respect and protection. more »
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