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...and part of my doubt is that I don't think there is a provable way to know that other animals experience pain to begin with.
by em3rgent0rdr 9y ago
...and part of my doubt is that I don't think there is a provable way to know that other animals experience pain to begin with.
- enugu 9y agoIs there a provable way which applies to other humans? We are either generalizing from personal experience or using biological explanations to postulate a connection between behaviour and sentient feelings. So, when a street dog whimpers and runs away as someone bends down to pick a stone, or when it jumps eagerly to eat some food, we deduce pain and pleasure.
- em3rgent0rdr 9y agoGood point. It is all deduction, and I guess that is what science is about: deduction, not proof. Regardless of whether or not an entity X experiences pain, we can still objectively state that entity X responds negatively towards stimuli associated with the feeling of pain in ourselves.
- cornyNetHandle 9y agoThere isn't a provable way to know if other animals even exist, including yourself for anyone else, let alone if they experience pain. Positive proofs are tricky things and we don't have very many of them outside mathematics.
- tempodox 9y agoGo away. You're just a figment of my imagination.
- cornyNetHandle 9y agoIf I am then I am unable to.
- Valmar 9y agoIs there a provable way to know that other animals don't experience pain to begin with?