The author isn’t trying to answer a philosophical or scientific question, but instead just commenting on how we often have aesthetic views of consciousness. So

The author isn’t trying to answer a philosophical or scientific question, but instead just commenting on how we often have aesthetic views of consciousness. So just like he feels like the man on the subway is conscious due to his expressed emotions, he also feels like the rabbit is conscious due to the liveliness of its movements. That’s contrasted with his own view of himself, which while ironically he knows he is conscious, he feels his lack of vigor is a huge limitation.