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Originally Posted by skier
I'd just like to contribute a few points to the thread-
First, if you believe that animals have consciousness, they have reasoned behaviors- they weigh benefit vs. risk. But why does a cat "play" with a mouse? The benefit to the cat is not immediately apparant, because it's prolonging it's meal, wasting it's energy, and is at risk of the meal escaping. If the cat truly had reasoned behavior wouldn't it eat it right away instead of creully batting it around? Instinct and evolution motivates the cat to practice it's hunting skills with a captive target. This argues against conscious behavior and for instinctual reactions.
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Then by your argument humans do not have consciousness. Why did I buy that sports car last year? I could have saved the money to use if I ever lose my job so I don't starve. Buying the sports car reduces my net worth, wastes my money, and puts me at risk of having MY meals cut off due to lack of funds.
Why do people play music? There's no survival reason for it. Grog the Caveman did not escape from the sabre toothed tiger by using a cello.
If you want to argue that observing an organism doing something that does not specifically relate to personal or species survival automatically means the organism has no consciousness (I think the word you're actually searching for is sentience) then humans are not sentient either.
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This disconnection and subsequent return to reality is a shock. "How could this animal, that has all these human attributes (that i've given to it) be killed outright just for my meal? I'm going vegetarian." Personally, I don't think vegetarians have a firm handle on the delicate cycle of life and death. Earth is a Zero sum game. We have to compete for scarce resources. For you to have, another has to "have not".
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Or perhaps people are not as arrogant as your argument suggests they be, and do not automatically assume that "that which is not human is a mindless automaton that can't feel anything."
In fact, I would submit that it is YOU who have no connection to the earth and its animals, because it doesn't take much observation to see that animals can indeed feel emotions, pain, and generally everything humans can feel. They're just generally not as intelligent and therefore may react differently. If you don't know that, you must not have interacted with very many animals.