Subject:
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Re: Frog
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 10 Feb 1999 15:08:20 GMT
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Reply-To:
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c576653@=nospam=cclabs.missouri.edu
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Viewed:
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665 times
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Larry Pieniazek wrote:
[It's OK to use critter who aren't aware in a meaningful way]
>
> I don't
> feel a mouse is sentient even though it may have some limited problem
> solving ability or situational awareness. I'd put most ruminants in the
> non sentient category. Dogs, cats, dolphins, monkeys.. in fact many
> large carnivores, are all potentially sentient or actually sentient.
I wonder what potentially sentient means. Capable of being 'uplifted?'
As steve bliss points out, it is commonly accepted that even
domesticated porcine are very smart. They are typically thought to be
the smartest domesticated animal. Also, I agree that mice are
butt-stupid, but a smart rat is smarter than a dumb dog. (I'm biased as
a rat-for-pet keeper, but I'm also in training to be an educational
researcher and have a fair exposure to cognitive research - in which
rats are a common subject.)
> So the following things are OK in my moral system:
> Eating domestic chicken, turkey, cow, sheep, pork, most of which have
Someone recently told me that domestic turkey are so stupid that when it
rains, they feel it on their back, head, etc., look up to see what it is
(presumably) which causes their mouth to open and they drown from rain
flowing into their lungs. Now, I don't have any exposure to turkey
except for occasionally seeing them wild, but if that's true, they sound
about like plants to me. Also, I don't know how sheep and goats relate,
but goats are smart...and a pain in the ass to keep fenced.
> had all the sense bred out of them, as well as invertebrates and most
> fish.
Most? Which fish are sentient?
Now, I hate to keep harping on cannibalism (actually I love it) but how
does a severely retarded human fit into this? What about the stickier
case of autism where in severe cases, the person is not sentient (I
believe) using your definition, but may exhibit surprising talent?
> As far as I am concerned the other species on this planet most likely to
> be or become sentient is the dolphin.
I haven't worked with dolphins, but my reading suggests that's true.
I'd also put in a big vote for raccoons; they're smart, they're
omnivorous, and they have hands. All they need is time.
> I probably will try not to respond to any responses to this, but I did
Oh, you can make time for this...It's just a job ;-)
--
Sincerely,
Christopher L. Weeks
central Missouri, USA
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Frog
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| (...) I always recommend rats to anyone interested in small pets. At the very least, they don't bite (often). I've been nipped by mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, you name it. But our rats (we've had several) have always been great. They don't (...) (26 years ago, 10-Feb-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Frog
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| "Christopher L. Weeks" wrote: < a hard question, the original one of this thread > I think this was addressed to me. I've been fascinated by the thread but don't have time to plunge in. I did want to answer the question. AFAI am concerned, and I do (...) (26 years ago, 10-Feb-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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