• thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      2 hours ago

      capacity for sentience

      Aren’t most animals sentient? Wiktionary says that it means “Experiencing sensation, thought, or feeling”. Even simple animals like flies are capable of “sensation”, and most complex animals experience all three. I would say “sapient” (“possessing intelligence or a high degree of self-awareness”) in this context.

      You’re the scientist, what is the scientifically correct/used/accepted meaning of “sentient”? Or has it been found that most animals do not, or at least do not consciously in the way humans do, sense, think, or feel? Correct me if any of what I’m saying is wrong.

    • bryophile@lemmy.zip
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      4 hours ago

      One of the 5 animals believed to have the capacity for sentience? I think you mean consciousness?

      The entire mammal kingdom is widely considered sentient. As are many other groups like fish and insects.

      Even with consciousness it’s stretching it is very conservative to estimate just 5 species.

    • ouRKaoS@lemmy.today
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      4 hours ago

      one of the 5 animals believed to have the capacity for sentience

      I’m taking a guess and saying Dogs, dolphins, an great apes… No idea that the last one could be.

      Am I on the right track?