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Question: On the philosophy of animals and thought!.!.!.!?
How many people believe that animals have a thought system as complex as to believe that they exist and know that they are alive, to be able to tell themselves "I am me!."

Do you believe animals act on their own free will or instinct!?

Personally, i believe a very select few have this ability, among the list are humans, dolphins, chimps, and ravens with some others!. All other animals act and react on instinct!. Your thoughts!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
im not sure of how many animals are free willing

though i am certain we (humans)
are not the most intelligent life forms

there is an evolution of consciousness,
so many species of animals
are definitely self aware!.

dogs may not be on the self aware list,
but they dream and they have a wide range
of emotions including pride and guilt!.
my dog used to chase things in her dreams,
she would sometimes kick her legs and bark !.!.!.

so it would be difficult for me to gauge or categorize
levels of consciousness between species,
but many humans would be better served by relying on instinct!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Any animal that can be trained definitely has freedom of choice!. Do you really believe that the hamster run in the wheel because of instinct!? Do you really believe Roaches are scared of light!? The cognitive abilities of other species including insects, and spiders, are far beyond what the general public believes!. Just watch the way move they move, and react!. also understand that everything reacts according to circumstances, nothing under universal law has free will, just freedom of choice, for everything is limited according to the law of their dimension!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Animals do act on free will to a degree depending on their intellectual levels and the environment they live in!. I believe that emotions shown by animals are not the result of their instincts but free will!. For example, when my dog knows that she is about to get a treat she becomes excited!. This is part of her free will!. Humans act almost purely on free will because we were trained by the environment that we live in!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Animals all display varying degrees of "intelligence", meaning they act deliberately to achieve an expected outcome!. This is not simply instinct!.

Humans appear to be unique, in that we have an awareness of "self" or "consciousness"!. There's no way to tell whether animals have the same experience!.

Judging from the products of human thought -- language, construction, arts & music, technology -- our minds appear to be more sophisticated than animals!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

lol no **** humans are the most intelligent, downwind!. well reedo my brother is a biologist and he tells me that more than half of animal species show some signs of possessing free will!. This does not mean that they necessarily make everyday decisions based on it tho!. Although, this is not connected to the idea of self-conciseness you talked about because very few life forms have that!. Humans, dolphins, chimps, (maybe) ravens, and (so I hear) owls are among this select few!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I believe the same, not to discount any form of life, but there are not many that have a sense of "I AM"!. There is a test Scientists use to check for signs of this, it being the mirror test!. Self recognition basically!.

A few for that list:
Dogs
Cats
Elephants
Gorillas
Bonobos
etc!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Judge not others, lest you shall be judged!.Www@QuestionHome@Com