Do Animals Have Minds - 774 Words

Humans have for centuries pondered on the mind, its existence, its beginning, it’s limit, it’s substance, and fought many different arguments against them all. But how do we know if any animals have a mind? Is intelligence unique to humans? Professor Donald Griffin has pointed out that â€Å"consciousness is not a tidy all-or-nothing entity, it varies with age, culture, experience and gender. And if animals have conscious experiences, these presumably vary widely as well.† If humans have minds, it must be possible that animals also have minds. And though no one would believe that earthworms and earwigs have thought processes like our own, it has been proven that chimps share 98% of genome with humans. Chimps have also shown that they can lie†¦show more content†¦By saying this we would have to wonder why other animals have not also adapted to our level. What could be stopping them? If we are all made of the same chemicals what has held the others back an d why are we the only creatures to make it this far? There are many strong counter- arguments to animals also having minds. We would have to wonder what else could be making the difference, and only by stepping totally out of a materialist view and into a realm beyond science can we begin to figure this out. Rene Descartes through the Cartesian method of thinking from the very foundations of what he was sure, established ultimately that he is thinking, that it is the only thing he is sure of. We can only be sure of what is self- evident. He argues that ‘the senses are not designed to give us knowledge at all, but are rather meant to help us move through the world in a very practical way’. So can we be sure at all that animals have minds, as intellect may be the only truth and we can not communicate clearly enough with animals to know this? Most animals rely on their senses rather than judgement (something tested by science in various tests on animals), something which Descartes believes separates humans from animals. And if senses are not at all a help to the mind but a guide for the body to move through life in a practical way, animals surely do not have minds, as they are lacking the ability to judge. In evaluating these two arguments, I wouldShow MoreRelatedUnderstanding the Capacity for Reasoning in Humans and Animals799 Words   |  3 PagesWe have concluded that mind and body work together as one. In humans, we have a mental experience happen with a biological experience together whether we are conscious of it or not. This has led to recovery from illness, like an optimistic person with cancer or someone to become ill, like an aggressive type-A personality with cardiovascular problems. Our bodies work with the mind in the opposite direction as well. While it cannot be denied that humans display behaviors not seen in nonhuman animalsRead MoreA Brief Biography of Rene Descartes1580 Words   |  6 Pagesto past notions. The seventeenth century was a pivotal point in history, which can be attributed by through works of philosopher Rene Descartes, who had endorsed the mechanistic conception of the world and the human body by coining notions such as mind, substance, and the knowle dge argument; although his notions were not always accepted, he managed to provide valid support. Born in France, Rene Descartes, dubbed The Father of Modern Philosophy was, in a way, a Renaissance man having contributedRead MoreGeorge Orwell : Language As Tool Of Propaganda1300 Words   |  6 PagesLanguage as a Tool of Propaganda Throughout the story, you see the way that the pig, Squealer, gives information to the â€Å"lowly† animals. He tells them what the leading pig, Napoleon, wants them to know, but he tells it in a way that it seems they are benefitting. 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There are three ways that people tend to believe humansRead MoreDescartes And Descartes s The Meditations987 Words   |  4 Pagesbased on your own mind and do not need to go to the outside world. Aristotle and Descartes wouldn’t agree. For example, a blind person. Aristotle would say he cannot know light so he would have to see it from some outside source to get knowledge. Descartes would say to not go to the outside world to find truth. Descartes would recommend meditation: self- reflection. First, you will look at your own mind, using your own mind to look at your mind. Then from that meditation on your mind you can figure