Do animals have emotions like us? - eviltoast
  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Why doesn’t it mean onions are crying out? Why is a nervous system necessary for pain or suffering? How can we know that? How am I anthropomorphizing if we do not have a functional universal definition of ‘suffering?’ If you’re going to make that claim, you’re going to say I can’t prove cows suffer.

    • feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I studied plant signalling/phytohormones during my MSc, it’s genuinely fascinating but it doesn’t imply consciousness. Cows have a central nervous system. Beyond that, it’s magical thinking. You are making an unfalsifiable claim, and that’s fine, but please acknowledge that you are adopting a faith-based position here. I could claim the sentience of crystals and be similarly obstinate when challenged.