- ... animals,1.1
- I use the term
other animals, since animals, if it is to be understood as a
natural type, must necessarily include humans. The term
animals, when used in such a way as to exclude humans, must be
understood as equivalent to the term foreigners -- people whose
only characteristic is that they do not belong to our nationality;
they do not share any particular property that is not shared by our
nationality.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... phenomena,1.2
- In
[9], Daniel Dennett gives examples of how `anectodal
evidence' can be scientifically valuable.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... `panglossian'1.3
- Dr. Pangloss is the Leibniz
caricature in Voltaires Candide. R. Lewontin and S. J. Gould
have used the term `panglossian' to characterise the adaptationist
position in biology, which ignores non-adaptive features of
evolution.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
history?1.4
- This may affect the applicability of terms such as
`rationality' and `language' eg. to killer whales, and to what
extent, and in what way, we can regard them as moral and intelligent,
beings with knowledge and understanding. A more extreme example is a
creature from another planet, which behaves in an apparently
intelligent and rational manner in most circumstances. A classic
science fiction idea is the problem of deciding whether this is a
robot or a rational living creature.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... world.1.5
- This problem is also illustrated
in two series broadcast on NRK (norwegian state broadcasting) in
1991/92: Viljen til liv (Will to life) and Dyriske sanser
(Animal senses). The film makers have certainly done as much as
possible to depict how the animals view us and the world, but the
result is inevitably quite unrealistic.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
respectively.1.6
- These two positions are clearly different --
behaviourism does not imply reductionist physicalism; rather the
contrary. A pure behaviourist will be sceptical towards all attempts
to find causes behind behaviour -- be they physical or mental.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
intentionality.1.7
- Nagel does not wish to identify himself with
phenomenology, but his sympathies appear to be leaning in that
direction.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... `scientific'1.8
- The english word science has a
more restricted meaning than the scandinavian vitenskap (or
german Wissenschaft), which also includes the social sciences
and the humanities -- so some of the following statements appear less
true in english than in scandinavian. Still, for lack of a better
word i will use science as a translation of vitenskap.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... formation.1.9
- This distinction is dubious or at least
problematic also in more descriptive disciplines, as Kuhn, Feyerabend
and others have pointed out -- but in these cases it can at least
in practice be established.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... do.1.10
- In
this way, we eliminate both deliberate fraud and several other kinds
of misunderstanding. Problems of this kind are also one of the main
objections agains parapsychological research.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... rigid1.11
- The rigidity of insects is well-known
to anyone who has tried to let a fly out of a window. It is unable to
learn that it cannot get through the (invisible) glass.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... otherwise2.1
- Such
a concept of cognition and knowledge has recently gained currency for
quite unrelated reasons [13,14].
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... it.2.2
- Jerome Bruner [6] calls these
primitive schemata `affective categories' and their significance
`affective meaning'. This shows that they are precursors to real
categories, but they still belong to a distinct, lower stage.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... circumstances.2.3
- This
is also in accord with the ideal of the surroundings as the world seen
from all possible perspectives -- this ideal is approached as cognition
and experience grow richer.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... intelligence.2.4
- We may be sceptical about the value of the
latter -- is general intelligence something which it is at all possible
to relate to one phenotype, or is it merely a concept encompassing a
range of abilities which we find valuable or useful? Jerison himself
takes an idiosyncratic attitude to this.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... lifeworlds.2.5
- Jerison says, in the spirit of
Kant and Uexküll, that the brain in its cognitive process
creates a real world.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
them.2.6
- Wittgensteins statement, `If a lion could speak, we
would not understand it', would also be misplaced, since the lion does
not possess the necessary biological prerequisites for speech or
linguistic ability. I may also admit that Churchland has a point
here. Although i consider `folk psychology' to be true for humans, on
the grounds that it exists -- it is pragmatically or adaptively
confirmed by evolution -- it is not necessarily valid for dolphins,
since they may organise their mental states in completely different
ways.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... counterpart,2.7
- This means that i exclude
unconscious deception and self-deception, except of the freudian
variety.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... autonomy.3.1
- Since Sartre
denies that there is such a thing as human nature, he would have
described it as a kind of `bad faith' -- we avoid responsibility for
our actions by turning ourselves into `things'.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... nature?3.2
- I have taken this argument from Mary Midgley,
Freedom and Heredity [28, chap.2]; see also
[28, chap.9].
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
argument.3.3
- This means it is possible to claim that Kants concept
of autonomy is less radical than that of Sartre. Sartre considers it as
wrong to be slaves of reason as of any other part of our nature. He
rejects the idea that we must defend our choices through rational
argument.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... together.3.4
- Mary Midgley argues
for such a view of reason in The Objection to Systematic Humbug,
in [28]. I do not know how correct she is in ascribing this
view to Kant. According to Kant, reason does not work on a matter that
is already moral, but is itself the source of all morality.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
egalitarian.3.5
- Apparently too egalitarian -- it follows
that the HIV virus has as much `right' to realise its telos as
humans have. But talking about rights in this context is a category
mistake.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
security.3.6
- Acting out of enlightened self-interest may be
better than many other kinds of acts or motives, but in itself
it is morally neutral.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... exclusive3.7
- See Mary Midgley
[28, chap.9] for more on this.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... does.3.8
- This confusion
may also arise from unfortunate translations; cf. Haga
[16, p.198].
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
general.3.9
- `Irrational', destructive behaviour is not covered
by this distinction; it cannot be construed as a simple antithesis to
ethical forms of behaviour. A proper discussion of this issue is
beyond the scope of this essay. An interesting account is given by
Mary Midgley [29, chap.8].
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
itself,3.10
- This may be defended on the basis both of the fact
that i have duties and responsibilities towards myself, not only
towards others; and from a strong version of the cosmos thesis or the
doctrine that the things are defined partly by their relations to
other things. The argument goes that by having proper consideration
for myself and realising my own nature, i automatically have
consideration for all the rest of the world. Spinoza appears to be
taking this stance.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... here.3.11
- A readable introduction
to this varied landscape is given by Barash [2, chap.5].
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... niche.3.12
- This does not mean that they are defined
into any particular rôle in the social system. Birds and mammals, as
opposed to social insects, are generalists. In this respect, sociality
differs from ecology.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... negative.3.13
- It
may also be that in our description of the phenomena, we are
projecting a particular human, eg. patriarchal value system onto the
animals [7, pp.88ff].
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... ok.3.14
- By
refusing to take proximate causes into account, we might however
happen to misidentify phenomena. I will return to this problem in my
discussion of altruism, section 3.4 -- here it is not so
significant.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
there.3.15
- This must not be understood as a primitivist demand
that we return to this life form. It is, however, conceivable that
industrial society must be radically transformed because it conflicts
fundamentally with human nature -- that humans cannot live in it as
humans.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... misunderstanding,3.16
- The
study of `altruism' in the sociobiological sense is of course still
legitimate, although it loses some of its direct relevance to philosophy
and ethics.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ...
it.3.17
- We might expect altruism to be differentiated in favour
of the nearest relatives, which i know well -- but then again we do
have special responsibilities towards those closest to us!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... mind.3.18
- As i
indicated in section 2.1, all experience is imbued with
meaning, so hardly anything is strictly neutral. However, the meaning
of a particular phenomenon is primarily derived from its connection
with the primary activities of life, which are the primary carriers of
meaning.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... matter.3.19
- It also requires an open, dynamical universe,
where there is a difference between is and ought.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... network.3.20
- Through this, our nature is also changed, and
the learning process is not -- and will never be -- completed.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
- ... considerations.3.21
- We cannot refer to
a principle of maximising inclusive fitness, since this has nothing
to do with our intentions, only the function of the various
adaptations.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.