Comments on: PART I of the interview with Marc Bekoff: ‘Animals have emotions and morality’ http://www.helgadhave.be/2010/animal/part-i-of-the-interview-with-marc-bekoff-animals-have-emotions-and-morality/ Science and Investigative Journalist, Writer, Biologist Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:39:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Helga D'Havé http://www.helgadhave.be/2010/animal/part-i-of-the-interview-with-marc-bekoff-animals-have-emotions-and-morality/comment-page-1/#comment-122 Helga D'Havé Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:29:07 +0000 http://www.helgadhave.be/?p=597#comment-122 Hi Paul, Thanks for your thoughts on this. In experiments it has been shown that it is a conscious decision, f ex rats not accepting food if another rat gets shocked by that, or dolphins, gorilla's saving humans: these animals don't have to do that, it doesn't bring them anything, but they do; they choose to do so. So, moral behaviour in animals is not only exhibited within the boundaries of a social group (and what is socially acceptable), but also beyond. There are still many questions of course :) Helga Hi Paul,

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

In experiments it has been shown that it is a conscious decision, f ex rats not accepting food if another rat gets shocked by that, or dolphins, gorilla’s saving humans: these animals don’t have to do that, it doesn’t bring them anything, but they do; they choose to do so. So, moral behaviour in animals is not only exhibited within the boundaries of a social group (and what is socially acceptable), but also beyond.

There are still many questions of course :)

Helga

]]> By: paul Cooney http://www.helgadhave.be/2010/animal/part-i-of-the-interview-with-marc-bekoff-animals-have-emotions-and-morality/comment-page-1/#comment-117 paul Cooney Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:58:55 +0000 http://www.helgadhave.be/?p=597#comment-117 Really interesting interview and nice to have scientific back up for the existence of emotions and the experiance of pain in animals. In order to convince more and more people to at least think about the endemic abuse of animals in our society this is much needed research. I do however have a concern with the use of the word morality in relation to animal behaviour. To me the word suggests a conciouse decision to exhibit certain behaviour that may be beneficial to the individual within a social environment, or on the other hand it may not. Moral behaviour may even go against the norms of the social group and lead to some form of rejection of the individual by its peers. It seems to me that from what is being said animals are not so much acting morally but learning to act within the social boundaries of the group.Not making moral decisions but social ones. I concede there are questions around the definiton of the term morality here, and the concept of different animals having different forms of morality has got me thinking. Really good interview, many thanks paul Really interesting interview and nice to have scientific back up for the existence of emotions and the experiance of pain in animals. In order to convince more and more people to at least think about the endemic abuse of animals in our society this is much needed research.

I do however have a concern with the use of the word morality in relation to animal behaviour. To me the word suggests a conciouse decision to exhibit certain behaviour that may be beneficial to the individual within a social environment, or on the other hand it may not. Moral behaviour may even go against the norms of the social group and lead to some form of rejection of the individual by its peers.

It seems to me that from what is being said animals are not so much acting morally but learning to act within the social boundaries of the group.Not making moral decisions but social ones.

I concede there are questions around the definiton of the term morality here, and the concept of different animals having different forms of morality has got me thinking.

Really good interview, many thanks

paul

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