4 ms·

> Of course we shouldn't attempt to anthropomorphise animal behaviour I'm not holding this against you in any way :), but I wanted to say I'm getting tired of

by drclau 5y ago

> Of course we shouldn't attempt to anthropomorphise animal behaviour I'm not holding this against you in any way :), but I wanted to say I'm getting tired of this "don't anthropomorphise animals" trend. Some bird species are clearly highly intelligent, and I feel that this 'opposition to anthropomorphising' is used to downplay this fact, and animal intelligence in general. Regarding the crows funeral or vigil, I suspect this has been observed a long time ago by humans, and is the reason for the association of crows with death in some cultures.

harpersealtako 5y ago
I think the complaint against anthropomorphism is usually about ascribing emotions, not intelligence. Nobody can deny that ravens exhibit complex behavior around their dead, suggesting some level of understanding of death and mortality. But if one starts to claim that the ravens feel "sadness" or "grief", that is a much less grounded or provable claim, that is more likely based in our human reaction to death than the ravens' understanding of it.
mastazi 5y ago
When I say don't anthropomorphise animals, I don't mean it in a diminutive manner. I grew up on a farm. People who know next to nothing about animals are often quick to let me know that it's not humane for farmers to treat chickens that way or to treat sheep that other way, because "how would you like being treated like that". Two examples of why this line of thinking is flawed: taking a sheep from standing position down to the ground, will have the effect of calming the sheep. Some types of fish that are used in aquaculture will calm down and decrease their stress levels if you turn off the lights. If someone suddenly takes you down while you're walking down the road, or suddenly turns off the light while you are in a stressful situation, you will probably freak out. That's because you're not a sheep or a fish.

by drclau 5y ago

harpersealtako 5y ago

I think the complaint against anthropomorphism is usually about ascribing emotions, not intelligence. Nobody can deny that ravens exhibit complex behavior around their dead, suggesting some level of understanding of death and mortality. But if one starts to claim that the ravens feel "sadness" or "grief", that is a much less grounded or provable claim, that is more likely based in our human reaction to death than the ravens' understanding of it.

mastazi 5y ago

When I say don't anthropomorphise animals, I don't mean it in a diminutive manner. I grew up on a farm. People who know next to nothing about animals are often quick to let me know that it's not humane for farmers to treat chickens that way or to treat sheep that other way, because "how would you like being treated like that". Two examples of why this line of thinking is flawed: taking a sheep from standing position down to the ground, will have the effect of calming the sheep. Some types of fish that are used in aquaculture will calm down and decrease their stress levels if you turn off the lights. If someone suddenly takes you down while you're walking down the road, or suddenly turns off the light while you are in a stressful situation, you will probably freak out. That's because you're not a sheep or a fish.