We struggle to define or describe consciousness itself, and yet we seem to have little trouble in designating other creatures as “not conscious” and “purely instinctual”. Perhaps our mode of perception is unique to our species, but I sincerely doubt that the phenomenon of consciousness itself is a binary characteristic.
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January 4, 2008 at 10:40 am
Ted Heistman
I Think animals live in a dream world. What I mean by that is they they don’t experience linear time.
I don’t think they understand cause and effect either like people do. I think they just form associations. Like for example, some birds associate dropping rocks near ostrich eggs as being associated with being able to eat the eggs.
I think following their instincts feels to them like following our intuition feels to us. But i think they don’t experience conflicts like we do between our intuition and our rational minds.
January 4, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Jacob
Interesting thought. Do you think the experience (or perception) of cause and effect is a binary construct in creatures? That is, either you have it or you don’t; there is no spectrum in this experience.
Many pet owners claim their cats and dogs understand similar cause and effect in a similar, perhaps lesser, degree as humans. If the diversity of life on earth can be completely accounted for without direct divine intervention, then it seems to me that what we consider consciousness must also have developed over time. Different animals, then, may experience varying degrees of consciousness.