> Bottlenose dolphins call out the specific names of loved ones when they become separated, a study finds.
...Holy, f^~kin crap! We've been in the presence of other sentients this whole time. Enslaved them. Killed them while gathering food. Holy, f^~kin crap!
Its an uneasy thought to have that sentience might not be a binary function that humans have and other species lack. It might be a continuum. Some animals are far more sentient than others. Its followed closely by the even more uncomfortable thought that this might vary greatly inside the species. Finally this eerie train of thought pulls into the last station and you think that if the above is true than its almost certain that some humans are less sentient than others. There be dragons.
Well, you could take that as "less sentient humans should be treated like animals and abused/treated like property/eaten." On the other hand, you could take it as:
- Maybe I shouldn't eat all / some animals.
- Maybe some / all animals should have more rights and not be treated as objects, but living beings.
[Not to mention the Christian fundamentalists that will refer to the Bible stating that God gave man domain over animals, so things like lighting cats on fire for fun are ok.]
I totally agree on non-binary sentience. I think level of sentience correlates with capacity to experience dreams. I think cats and dogs and even smaller animals are somewhat sentient because they dream.
What's more interesting, what level of sentience could be achieved with brain that has lot more power than human brain?
We've been constantly killing and enslaving sentients while gathering food and resources ever since humans became sentient themselves. Still do.
On the other hand, one could say that a species killing and exploiting their own is internal problem of that species, while doing that to another intelligent species is morally worse on some level.
> We've been constantly killing and enslaving sentients while gathering food and resources ever since humans became sentient themselves. Still do.
Yes, but the bastards that are doing that know they are doing that.
> On the other hand, one could say that a species killing and exploiting their own is internal problem of that species, while doing that to another intelligent species is morally worse on some level.
And realizing that it's been happening unknowingly is another kind of mindf^~k as well!
...Holy, f^~kin crap! We've been in the presence of other sentients this whole time. Enslaved them. Killed them while gathering food. Holy, f^~kin crap!