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"And you my friend, how do you know I am not a fish — you are not I?" ;) It's splitting hairs... Yes of course there is no absolutely precise definition of hum
by V-2 13y ago
"And you my friend, how do you know I am not a fish — you are
not I?" ;) It's splitting hairs... Yes of course there is no absolutely precise definition of human consciousness, but it does not mean that the term becomes useless. I can't draw a precise line between a plain and a mountain (where does one start and the other end?), but it does not mean I can never tell about anything that it's not a mountain
- StavrosK 13y agoThe term doesn't become useless, but it becomes non-usable where laws and morality are concerned. Should we experiment on cognitively impaired people because they are less intelligent than a dog or a dolphin? How about month-old babies?
- V-2 13y agoIntelligence and consciousness are not synonymous at all. As for the month-old babies (or a boxer knocked unconscious - not as cute, but still ;) ), I think consciousness in this context should be understood as something specific of our species as such, rather than of any individual in particular.
- V-2 13y agoOr in another way. The fact that we do not differentiate (in terms of "life value") between mentally handicapped, or otherwise helpless humans and the rest, is a result of a separate ethical choice that regulates relations between us as human individuals. This choice does not logically require accepting the notion of any animal rights.