Scientists disagree, but MAYBE. It’s the lack of this CAPABILITY that caused Walker Percy to say that there’s more ontological distance between each of us and a DOLPHIN and a DOLPHIN and a rock. But, who knows, maybe those undeniably cute and smart mammals experience the joy of shared discovery. We still need to be looking for DOLPHIN science, philosophy, poetry, politics, priests, etc. But let the research continues and the studies come forth.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013, 1:42 PM
February 26th, 2013 | 5:38 pm
Almost half of Alasdair MacIntyre’s book “Dependent Rational Animals” is dedicated to dolphins, arguing that they are in fact rational. Sharp lines between non-rational animals and rational animals don’t really make sense from either a modern scientific standpoint or an Aristotelian philosophical standpoint, since Dolphins and other animals operate on reasons for action (Aristotle would call that “phronesis”; he explicitly says bees have it).
This in no way takes away from human dignity of course, since humans have capacities that others don’t even if there isn’t a sharp line between non-rational and rational animals. It’s actually very important from an ethical standpoint to remember the ANIMALITY of every human being, and not reduce human dignity to the presence of a certain state of affairs with a certain number of brainwaves
March 1st, 2013 | 1:37 pm
Hey? Maybe dolphins really are merfolk, or the ghosts of dead sailors?
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