I've certainly heard about chimps & elephants (and, of course, dolphins) apparently experiencing a whole host of emotional responses. But the problem is always - is this a case of anthropomorphism or are they *really* having those experiences. I guess the only way we'd really know is if we could get them in an MRI scanner and with a good enough understanding of their brains SEE it happening.
I think we all know instinctively that animals are not simply unfeeling automatons. They're not machines. So I think its very reasonable to think that they can feel joy, awe, love etc.. Probably in different ways than we do, but still. We are, in the final analysis, animals too - even if self-aware ones - so it makes sense.
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Shots like these and chimpanzees sniffing flowers makes me wonder how rich their aesthetic experience is -- their appreciate of joy, beauty, wonder.
I've certainly heard about chimps & elephants (and, of course, dolphins) apparently experiencing a whole host of emotional responses. But the problem is always - is this a case of anthropomorphism or are they *really* having those experiences. I guess the only way we'd really know is if we could get them in an MRI scanner and with a good enough understanding of their brains SEE it happening.
I think we all know instinctively that animals are not simply unfeeling automatons. They're not machines. So I think its very reasonable to think that they can feel joy, awe, love etc.. Probably in different ways than we do, but still. We are, in the final analysis, animals too - even if self-aware ones - so it makes sense.
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