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ON THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ANIMALS ARE AUTOMATA, AND ITS HISTORY
Thomas H. Huxley
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THOMAS HUXLEY
(1825-1895)➤ accomplished biologist ➤ “Darwin’s bulldog” ➤ grandfather of Aldous Huxley
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RENE DESCARTES
(1596-1650)mathematician, scientist, philosopher
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COMMON SENSE ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS
➤Argument is valid. ➤Would Descartes agree that…
➤ the argument is sound? ➤Premise 1 is true? ➤Premise 2 is true? ➤ the conclusion is true?
➤Would Huxley agree that… ➤ the argument is sound? ➤Premise 1 is true? ➤Premise 2 is true? ➤ the conclusion, (3), is true?
1. Animals display coordinated movement.
2. Coordinated movement requires consciousness.
3. Therefore, animals are conscious.
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SPINAL INJURY
➤ If spinal cord severed…
➤ reflexes intact in humans…
➤ coordinated movements to remove acid in frogs…
➤ but no pain felt below lesion.
➤ How do we know?
➤ Huxley: anterior (front) brain necessary for consciousness
➤ consciousness vs. ability to report consciousness
➤ “De non apparentibus et de non existentibus eadem est ratio.”
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LOBOTOMIZED FROG: SWIMS, BALANCES, SWALLOWS, NAVIGATES
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EVOLUTIONARY ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS
➤(2) and (3) assumed obvious
➤(1) is the “doctrine of continuity”
1. Complex natural phenomena are always preceded by simpler modifications.
2. Human consciousness is a complex natural phenomenon.
3. If human consciousness was preceded by simpler modifications, then some animals are conscious.
4. Therefore, some animals are conscious.
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“But though we may see reason to disagree with Descartes’ hypothesis that brutes are unconscious machines, it does not follow that he was wrong in regarding them as automata.
-Huxley (pg. 28, right column)
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Epiphenomenalism: mental states have physical causes but no physical effects
epi (“=above / in addition to”) + phenomenon + ism