Self-awareness

Recap: goals of module 2

Our moral status authors made many claims about animal minds
We are checking their claims against the evidence from animal science
We are also getting to know animals better and learning how scientists study animals
Next in module 2: is it worse to kill humans than to kill animals?
Friday: will read Jeff McMahan who says yes--draws on many claims about human minds vs. animal minds
Monday: we'll have a debate about this

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Some claims of our module 1 authors on time travel and self-awareness

Peter Singer, Animal Liberation Now p. 25

Immanuel Kant, Lectures on Ethics AWT p. 6

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Peter Singer's argument

Last time: animals do plan for the future: chimpanzees, crows, cheetahs, etc.

What might Singer say in response?

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Self-awareness

Both Singer and Kant say animals don't have it

DeWaal says animals have it to varying degrees? Would Singer and Kant be impressed?

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The mirror test (DeWaal p. 241-243)

DeWaal: The mirror test can be passed to different degrees

complete fail--small songbirds and fighting fish--treat the image like it's someone else
intermediate--dogs and cats who don't react much to image instead of fighting with it
intermediate--animals fail the mark test but can use mirrors as a tool