ANIMALS CONSCIOUS

Are animals conscious?



Are animals conscious?

Introduction

In normal periods of animal consciousness, scientific research generally restricting their activities in a well defined area. However, the doctrinal corpus always contains errors or anomalies in the long run they can be as serious as to create a serious crisis in the prevailing paradigm. Not able to be resolved, this will ultimately reject and replaced by a new one not compatible with the previous one. The mere existence of unresolved problems in a paradigm is not itself a crisis. Martin Schonfeld recognizes that paradigms will always find difficulties throughout his career. Only under exceptional conditions the latter can lead to a crisis of credibility in their principles, by the community involved. This discussion will attempt to briefly summarize the old and new models (paradigms) regarding animal consciousness. Then, referring to all of the readings, the discussion will take a position on Dennett's claim that speculating about animal consciousness makes 'no sense'.

Martin Schonfeld's perspective on animal consciousness

According to Martin Schonfeld, analyze the characteristics of a period of crisis in animal consciousness requires both the competence of a psychologist as a historian. When it comes to the conclusion that the anomalies pose serious problems to the paradigm begins a period of "profound professional insecurity" (Schonfeld, 2006). This is the current mood of his community of experts in animal consciousness. Such a claim can be verified easily by going to the statements published by a good part of their establishment, as we discuss in another post.

With the passage of time, attempts in order to resolve the problem or anomaly, gradually become more radical, progressively weakening the rules established by conceptual and methodological paradigm. Scientists are beginning to engage in normal metaphysical and philosophical discussions, trying to defend the innovations proposed individual colleagues.

Rival paradigms considered significant legal or various other issues that previously were considered trivial at the same performance standards are proposed different and incompatible compared to those championed years ago. The paradigm that begins to work the way they lead the scientist to see a certain aspect of the world. Martin Schonfeld maintains that, in a sense, proponents of competing paradigms "live in different worlds." The author links the change of membership by researchers from one paradigm to another alternative and incompatible with a "gestalt switch" and even a "religious conversion."

There is no purely logical argument that demonstrates the superiority of one paradigm over another and therefore, rational impulse to change. One reason that such a demonstration is not possible lies in the fact that a scientific trial on the merits of a scientific theory involves many factors. The investigator's decision will depend on the priority given to each of them. The factors include things such as simplicity, the connection to a pressing social need, the ability to solve a certain type of problem, etc.

A second reason that there is no logically compelling demonstration of the superiority of one paradigm over another arises from the fact that supporters of rival paradigms subscribe to different ...