I've seen a lot of talk about sentience and animals on this ning network. In fact, it was part of the appeal before I officially joined 30bananasaday. Yet, where is the science to show that animals are indeed sentient beings? I will now attempt to find the scienfic proof that is desperately needed.
In my opinion if animal rights advocates are to advance animal rights we need to move past bare assertions. Person A can state "a chicken is a sentient being." Person B can say "no a chicken is not sentient." At this point the debate turns into a shouting contest. Without proof, how can the argument progress?
It is my opinion animal rights activists need to focus on spreading the word that animals are indeed sentient beings. Not only that but there is scientific evidence to back up the claim. People just don't know that animals posses the quality of sentience.
"After 2,500 Studies, It's Time to Declare Animal Sentience Proven" Berkoff
"Scientists know that individuals from a wide variety of species experience emotions ranging from joy and happiness to deep sadness, grief, and post-traumatic stress disorder, along with empathy, jealousy and resentment." Berkoff
"Empathy is thought to be unique to higher primates, possibly to humans alone. We report the modulation of pain sensitivity in mice produced solely by exposure to their cagemates, but not to strangers, in pain." Social Modulation of Pain as Evidence for Empathy in Mice Science 30 June 2006: Vol. 312 no. 5782 pp. 1967-1970
"In an unprecedented move, New Zealand declares nonhuman animals to be sentient beings and makes animal testing illegal." beforeitsnews.com
"A number of controlled procedures were carried out which involved ruffling the feathers of chicks and mother hens with an air puff.
When chicks were exposed to puffs of air, they showed signs of distress that were mirrored by their mothers. The hens' heart rate increased, their eye temperature lowered - a recognised stress sign - and they became increasingly alert. Levels of preening were reduced, and the hens made more clucking noises directed at their chicks." Thetelegraph
"Thus, rats behave pro-socially in response to a conspecific’s distress, providing strong evidence for biological roots of empathically motivated helping behavior." Empathy and Pro-Social Behavior in Rats Inbal Ben-Ami Bartal1, Jean Decety1,2,4, Peggy Mason3,4 Science 9 December 2011: Vol. 334 no. 6061 pp. 1427-1430
In conclusion it is clear that animals exhibit the trait of empathy. We have know this fact since at least December 2011. Yet, politically most nations are lagging behind science in this regards. In other-words the science and proof exists. This is now a political movement.
http://www.livescience.com/39481-time-to-declare-animal-sentience.html
Replies
and here's a good one:
http://www.30bananasaday.com/forum/topics/it-s-official-now-animal-...
in friendship,
prad