I’m not aware of any evidence to suggest that many living animals aren’t highly self-aware. What is it that you think separates humans so decisively?
Now if you talk about this late-stage, high-tech, message-dense civilisation being responsible for much of that, then I agree, but I’d also point out that it’s a recent construction. Genetically we’re still the same as our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who had none of that stuff.
So what would make those humans from about 6K - 12Kyrs so unique compared to other animals…?
There’s nothing that I think should mean any species capable of experiencing shouldn’t also experience their self within the scope of their awareness. However, I think mankind is a logical kind of animal. Applying logic to the phenomenon of self awareness, e.g., asking about one’s character and goals, is likely unique to humans in my view.
Speaking of applying logic, that’s what we typically do through science studies, which consistently show that other animals experience emotion and self-awareness to far higher degrees than previously understood.
asking about one’s character and goals, is likely unique to humans in my view.
I agree that modern man likely has the most articulated language that’s ever existed on earth, which is a big part of that. But would hunter-gatherers have asked themselves about their ‘character and goals’ as part of their regular life? I don’t know that such would be the case especially more than other humans or apes did or do. That said, keeping a nomadic, tool-using tribe going arguably would have required more of that than at any other level of organisation.
Which again suggests to me that a big part of that impetus comes from the level of civilisation I described. I think that’s really what you’re thinking of. Which hardly correlates to our genes at all.
I’m not aware of any evidence to suggest that many living animals aren’t highly self-aware. What is it that you think separates humans so decisively?
Now if you talk about this late-stage, high-tech, message-dense civilisation being responsible for much of that, then I agree, but I’d also point out that it’s a recent construction. Genetically we’re still the same as our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who had none of that stuff.
So what would make those humans from about 6K - 12Kyrs so unique compared to other animals…?
There’s nothing that I think should mean any species capable of experiencing shouldn’t also experience their self within the scope of their awareness. However, I think mankind is a logical kind of animal. Applying logic to the phenomenon of self awareness, e.g., asking about one’s character and goals, is likely unique to humans in my view.
Speaking of applying logic, that’s what we typically do through science studies, which consistently show that other animals experience emotion and self-awareness to far higher degrees than previously understood.
I agree that modern man likely has the most articulated language that’s ever existed on earth, which is a big part of that. But would hunter-gatherers have asked themselves about their ‘character and goals’ as part of their regular life? I don’t know that such would be the case especially more than other humans or apes did or do. That said, keeping a nomadic, tool-using tribe going arguably would have required more of that than at any other level of organisation.
Which again suggests to me that a big part of that impetus comes from the level of civilisation I described. I think that’s really what you’re thinking of. Which hardly correlates to our genes at all.