re: #787 Prononymous, rogue demon hunter

I said potential because it is still a controversial subject and an active area of research. The authors of the papers I linked, and many other researchers, say that such potential is realized in certain animals. What do you think about what I linked?

If it’s still a controversial subject, why are you surprised by me being unconvinced? I’ve read many, many, many, many papers on the subject. I haven’t thoroughly read the ones you’ve linked, of course— I’m not sure why you’re asking me for a response about them since you just posted them and they’re academic papers that require a lot of time to actually read and comprehend— but I really doubt the authors would say that they prove it, just that they add evidence.

I would suggest that being able to discern the similarities and differences between objects such as their color, shape, quantity (or absence), etc is an abstraction. That capability was demonstrated by Alex the parrot.

Well, I wouldn’t. Or rather, I’d say that analoging ability forms a part of abstract thought.

What sort of kindness are you talking about?

A kind that involves abstract thought, rather than as you said, metacognition (a very squishy term) and causal reasoning. I’d also note it’s nearly impossible to separate causal reasoning from hardwired behavior.

Fair enough. I agree that there is a huge gulf between us and even our nearest relatives. But I see it as a difference in the magnitude of our capability rather than as something unique to us.

Do you think that descends down all the way to protozoa?