Can you imagine a world where everyone believed that animals (including insects, fish, crustaceans, etc.) had minds like humans? There would be more vegetarians in world, and hopefully an increase in the general treatment and welfare of animals. I believe that other forms of life do experience a form of consciousness and shared experiences, despite what some might say.
BACKGROUND INFO
The philosophical question “Do animals have conscious minds and experiences” is a hotly debated topic. Do animals feel pain and are aware of their surrounding, not solely instincts, are the roots of this discussion. A skepticist (someone who believes that their mind is the only thing that is real), would believe animals and humans other than himself are not conscious. …show more content…
I find that most people who consume meat products do not take into account that animals they are slaughtering may have minds of their own. Most people would be flabbergasted at the thought of consuming a dog or cat, but when it is a cow, it is no issue. Perhaps the agriculture industry has a role to play, but in the eyes of a skepticist, this assumption is unrealistic. There is no definition of mental consciousness except the one created by those that benefit from it, humans. It is reasonable to believe that animals do not have minds, I understand that, however, there are more and more experiments being performed that prove that they in fact do. In the article, “Do Animals Have Consciousness?” Scientist Jack Panksepp, stimulated feelings like joy and fear into rats. He discovered that they started when sweat when dealing with a threat, or laughing when he tickled them with his hand. The rats hid when Panksepp brought the threat back into the environment and became excited when they saw his hand because they knew happiness was coming. Animals do in fact remember what happen to them and try to avoid the same uncomfortable moments or await for the
BACKGROUND INFO
The philosophical question “Do animals have conscious minds and experiences” is a hotly debated topic. Do animals feel pain and are aware of their surrounding, not solely instincts, are the roots of this discussion. A skepticist (someone who believes that their mind is the only thing that is real), would believe animals and humans other than himself are not conscious. …show more content…
I find that most people who consume meat products do not take into account that animals they are slaughtering may have minds of their own. Most people would be flabbergasted at the thought of consuming a dog or cat, but when it is a cow, it is no issue. Perhaps the agriculture industry has a role to play, but in the eyes of a skepticist, this assumption is unrealistic. There is no definition of mental consciousness except the one created by those that benefit from it, humans. It is reasonable to believe that animals do not have minds, I understand that, however, there are more and more experiments being performed that prove that they in fact do. In the article, “Do Animals Have Consciousness?” Scientist Jack Panksepp, stimulated feelings like joy and fear into rats. He discovered that they started when sweat when dealing with a threat, or laughing when he tickled them with his hand. The rats hid when Panksepp brought the threat back into the environment and became excited when they saw his hand because they knew happiness was coming. Animals do in fact remember what happen to them and try to avoid the same uncomfortable moments or await for the