Unfortunately I’ve got to disagree with you from the outset, they do in fact express emotions, having witnessed one of my pets feel less inclined to partake in activities he very much normally enjoyed when his compatriot of a different species eventually passed away due to age. That is one clear example I’ve observed on my own, several times in a couple of different species over the years (unfortunately).
It’s a bit pedantic, in truth, to state that these animals don’t feel human emotions. Do all of us experience ennui for that matter? Envy, to the same level as one another? Which leads to a paradox of how one defines a conscious, human mind at all, if it were indeed based only on what emotions are present when presented with a similar stimulus.
Further, I’m noticing that you’re focused on dancing around “are they human”, not “are they conscious”, a more interesting & insightful question. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed this tactic among people who don’t want to feel bad about eating other conscious beings. If you eat other passengers on this ship called earth, so be it, but avoid the cowardice that comes with assigning them lower value in a pseudo-intellectual manner.
Do you think animals are capable of being curious, even when there’s no impetus for them to be? I certainly do.
grrgyle@slrpnk.net 1 month ago
I think of that paper often, though I think it applies equally to other humans. Like I’ll never know how it feels to be Doug unless I fully become Doug, and thus lose my own perspective.
Like how much of empathy is just projection?
I feel like a lot of it. We can talk about similarities in physiological responses to events, but as far as the actual subjective “qualia” (I think I’m using the term correctly) 🤷♂️
NielsBohron@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I believe you just hit upon what is called The Problem of Other Minds in philosophical terms
grrgyle@slrpnk.net 1 month ago
Hell yeah, you’re killing it with these links, thank you.
I’m not surprised it’s a known phenomenon, but still excited to catch up on others’ thoughts.
NielsBohron@lemmy.world 1 month ago
No problem! I’m just glad my semi-obsessive reading of wikipedia is helping others, too