[Animls]The Emotional Life of Animals—And What It Means for Us

[FRIDAY THE 13]

The question of what non-human animals experience is front and center in the zeitgeist. The acclaimed book An Immense World, by science journalist Ed Yong, delves into the remarkable sensory capacities and perceptions of other creatures. When Animals Dream, by philosopher David Peña-Guzman, looks at dreaming as evidence of mind. And other po[CENSORED]r works—from naturalist Carl Safina’s Beyond Words and biologist Jonathan Balcombe’s What a Fish Knows to journalist Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus and primatologist Frans de Waal’s Mama’s Last Hug—argue that many non-human animals are individuals with lives that matter to them. 


These observations are significant, because the degree of care and concern we give to animals seems to depend on how we picture their inner lives. Most recently, philosopher Martha Nussbaum, in her book Justice for Animals, argues that we human beings owe other animals—as individual persons—the freedom to live out their lives according to their full capabilities.

As animals ourselves, but as animals who prize our capacity to think (Homo sapiens means a “wise,” “knowing,” or “discerning” human being), we tend to judge and give consideration to other animals based on their smarts. Instead, I want to suggest that their capacity to feel and express feelings is what is truly essential. Emotion, it turns out, may even endow our fellow creatures with what we could term a “spiritual” life.

Emotion is displayed by animals all around us. Dolphins and orcas—both highly social species—demonstrate playfulness and loneliness, cheerfulness and affection. Elephants, who also live in close-knit groups, give every appearance of joy and sorrow. They seem to mourn their dead, and unfortunately experience something close to post-traumatic stress disorder. Baboons can become depressed, monkeys angry, pigs and calves terrified, and parrots cranky. Octopuses and crows clearly seem to prefer certain people. Fishes seek out caresses to relieve stress. And rats apparently enjoy being tickled!

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_emotional_life_of_animals_and_what_it_means_for_us