Certainly, there are many non-human animals that inhabit the almighty mother earth. The human race has always been interested in the behavior of other animals found in this diverse world. This report will definitely be a very insightful and interesting guide to those in search of understanding the capabilities of the animal mind. This informative document will discuss the question of animal self-awareness, the ability of animals to think and reason in various situations and most importantly give an in depth analysis about the conscious thinking of animals. Furthermore, references will be made to articles and books written by experts in the field of animal behavior so to provide valid information Before discussing animals themselves, first there are certain definitions that the reader must become familiar with. Most people have no doubt of their own conscious thinking but cannot convey to another person all that they experience ( Griffin 5).
To be conscious is defined as aware of what one is intending to do or having a purpose or intention in ones actions (Websters 55).
The word think is defined as to have in mind a notion or idea (Websters 268) .
Therefore, it can be inferred that to be a conscious thinker would include having in mind an idea or notion and being aware of what one is intending to do with this idea. Now that these terms have been discussed, applying them to animals will be a great deal simpler. When speaking of conscious thinking within animals, there are two extreme sides of the argument. One extremity is cognitive theories. Lately, more and more scientists are opening their eyes to the opinions of cognitive scientists who believe that animals do have emotion, feeling, reasoning and are fully conscious. Our challenge is to venture across the species boundary and try to gather satisfactory information about what other species may think or feel (Griffin 12) . As a result of the intuition of the few cognitive scientists in the world, there have been extensive research and experiments done that are providing vital information concerning the conscious thinking of animals.
The Essay on Scientific Thinking Science Evidence Cognitive
Toward a Cognitive Psychology of Science: Recent Research and Its Implications In the article written by Ryan Tweney, he is contemplating the idea of whether there is a cognitive significance to scientific thinking. Many different studies are mentioned to try and answer this contemplation. One study on discovering the complexity of the universe found that subjects did the best if they confirmed ...
Another extreme opinion when dealing with animal thoughts is the behavioral theory. Many behavioral scientists believe that animals do not think or reason, they merely act on pure instinct and predetermined behavior. Most biologists and psychologists tend, explicitly or implicitly, to treat most of the worlds animals as mechanisms, complex mechanisms to be sure, but unthinking robots nonetheless (Griffin 9).
These types of scientists feel that animals are creatures who do not feel, think or are aware of what they are. Long ago this was a very popular opinion but as of late more and more experts have questioned the validity of this theory. In California an experiment has been done to help support the theories of many cognitive scientists. Rio, a seven-year-old sea lion at the University of California at Santa Cruz, thinks like a human. (Crabb 1).
Miraculously, Rio understands a simple mathematical concept. If A equals B, and B equals C, then it follows that A equals C, and even that C equals A. Most humans know that, sort of. So does Rio (1 Crabb).
To prove this, Dr. Schusterman from the University, helps Rio to match the silhouette of a crab with that of a tulip, and then the tulip with a radio, Rio then makes a logical leap; she matches the crab with the radio. It may seem like a small thing, but it is a basic kind of logical thinking (Crabb 1).
This informative experiment is only one of the phenomenal leaps that has been made in the progress of cognitive theories. In another study, a horse called Hans has surpassed simple logical thinking and has become somewhat of an animal scholar. After long training this highly intelligent animal has demonstrated the capacity for abstract thinking. Hans could not only count, he could also solve problems in arithmetic. The four fundamental processes were entirely familiar to him. Common fractions he changed to decimals, and vice versa; he could solve problems in mensuration – and all with such ease that it was difficult to follow him if one had become somewhat rusty in these branches.
The Essay on Suffering Animals And The Suffering Boy
Oliver twist and Animal farm are two novels written by two very different authors at two very different times. Both stories talk about suffering but how each author proves his point, is very different. The governments, which they write their stories about, are very different. The bottom line however, is suffering. Human suffering is a part of human nature. Each era has human suffering within the ...
( In the case of all fractions Hans would first tap the numerator and then the denominator) (Henderson 47) This illustration of the ability for an animal to reason numerical problems is indisputable evidence that the minds of animals have the capacity for logical thinking. Furthermore, Hans has demonstrated that he is very intelligent and can understand more complex Many experiments have been repeatedly done to prove that an animal can think and reason, but the question of whether animals are aware of themselves and their surroundings still hinders the minds of many. One scientist, Gordon Gallup of the State University of New York, has helped to answer this intriguing question. His experiment was carried out with the use of several chimpanzees who had become familiar with the use of mirrors. After putting the chimpanzees to sleep, Gordon applied marks of bright red dye to a chimpanzees eyebrow ridge and opposite ear. The dye is odorless and nonirratating, so the chimp cant smell or feel it; nor can the chimp see the marks without the aid of a mirror (Wright 3).
When the chimpanzees were revived they looked in the mirror and did a double take. Instantly they began to wipe the red dye from their own body and then inspect their fingers. This obviously proves that the chimpanzees have come to the realization that the image seen in the mirror is their own. Therefore it can be said that these animals are aware of not only their appearance but their existence as well. This test Gordon produced is now a standard measure of self-recognition known as the In Chicago, at the Brookfeild Zoo, there lives a hero of a different kind. It is not a a knight in shining armor or a soldier carrying a gun, instead it is a one-hundred and sixty pound gorilla named Binti-Jua. Recently a young boy had fallen down into the gorilla pit where numerous gorillas were roaming.
The Term Paper on The Mind Ways Of Thinking
Free Your Mind - Free Your Life. Escape entrapment by developing: thought emotion, and communication. Clear out your mental garbage and Develop new ways of thinking. Avoid being overwhelmed - by your emotions or by another's. Be in control of your feelings and be in control your life. Renew your mind and renew your existence. We are trapped within our minds within our universes. Like the maker of ...
The young three-year-old boy was injured and the zoo attendants feared that the gorillas would attack the young child. But Binti-Jua strolled over and scooped the injured boy up in her arm. She carried him about forty feet around the pit to a door used by zoo attendants. There she laid the boy down for the zoo attendant to retrieve (Ruether 1).
This display of heroism not only illustrates that the gorilla used conscious thinking to realize the danger the boy was in but also it is evident that the gorilla felt sympathy for the child. Amazingly this gesture of caring towards the child has made many people realize that animals do have the capacity for emotion and The previously stated examples are indisputable situations where animals have shown a high level of conscious thinking. These are only a very small portion of the thousands of experiments that are done to help support the theories of cognitive scientists. Hopefully this report has grasped the attention of numerous readers who think that animals are just mindless zombies.
What needs to be questioned is our capacity to surpress compassionate mutual recognition of personhood toward animals, which has justified our ill treatment of them (Ruether 2).
With this in mind, a point must be made to try to understand the feeling and emotions that are compromised when animals are treated like inanimate objects instead of conscious, thinking beings. It is an unmistakable fact that there are numerous examples that support the idea that animals are conscious, thinking and feeling organisms. This is evident through the progress made by cognitive scientists when working with animals like the sea lion Rio, the clever horse Hans, Binti-Jua the heroine and the chimpanzees who were aware of their existence. Even with these concrete facts many people still do not want to believe that animals may have the same mind capacity that humans have. This may be the result of many people believing that animals are all inferior or maybe because it is scary for people to think animals have that much mind capacity.
The Essay on Animals Human Humans Moreau People
The question is not can they reason, not can they speak, but can they suffer? - [quote Jeremy Bentham] It is estimated that 33 humans die each second in laboratories world wide. Shocked? Don't be, because it's not actually 33 humans that die each second, it is 33 animals; consisting of - cats, dogs, primates, rabbits, rat and mice. Between twenty and seventy million animals suffer and die in the ...
In any case, this new evidence that is being revealed has opened a whole new world of wonder to many curious scientists. With this in mind, there is obviously more and more reason to believe that animals are much Crabb Charlene. Rio, the logical sea lion. Discover. Feb 93, Vol.14, Issue 2, p.20. Griffin R. Donald.
Animal Thinking . Cambridge, Massachusetts: Havard University Henderson W. Robert. Learning in Animals . ed. Stephen W. Porges. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania: Hutchinson Ross Publishing Company, 1982.
Ruether, Radfor Rosemary. Animals could teach us a lot about ourselves. National Catholic Reporter. Sept. 96, Vol 32, Issue 41, p22. Wright, Karen.
The Tarzan Syndrome . Discover. Nov. 96, Vol 17, Issue 11, p.88.
