re: #793 Prononymous, rogue demon hunter

If humans aren’t the only source of good or kindness in the entire universe does not your other points still stand?

Sure.

I agree that some people’s need for connection to something greater is a feeling that’s biologically driven. So why not satisfy the emotion rather than suppress it? We can be rational while recognizing that, in fact, we are part of many greater things.

No clue where you got the idea I want the emotion suppressed. Care to point it out?

So someone in need should value the assistance they receive differently depending on the configuration of the giver’s neurons?

Weird way to put it, but yeah, if someone helps you out of empathy that’s definitely more valuable than someone helping you because they’ve been raised to think helping you is the right thing to do.

It isn’t a change, I just wasn’t very clear. Kindness isn’t an emotion, but it can come about as a response to an emotion. What sort of kindness requires abstract thought?

The kind that involves perception and empathy of a non-obvious emotional state in another person.

I would call this animal language, and I am in good company.

I don’t think you would, really. You really call any noise an animal makes that contains content language? Can you point out who else has that view?

I find them to be interesting subjects and non-mammals. I try to look for examples outside the ape lineage because articles about them can be more easily found with google by anybody.

Would you prefer cetaceans? Cephalopods?

I wouldn’t prefer anything. I’m just completely at a loss as to what argument you’re trying to make. Are you saying that the difference between the cognition of birds and our cognition is just a difference of magnitude?

What are the other parts of abstract thought?

Dialectical thought, for one thing. Being able to figure out counter-intuitive solutions would be another.

The cautious approach is always called for in science.

I agree. Which is why, even though I have seen quite a lot of evidence that things other than humans may have cognition similar to ours but different in magnitude, I haven’t been convinced.

As to cognition specifically, I think there is a minimum requirement of at least one brain. Without a brain it would be difficult to unify the whole suite of processes we describe as cognition.

I really can’t make head or tail of this bit. You previously were talking about differences only in magnitude. Now your’e talking about qualitative differences. So which is it?