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Animals as Persons
#1
This is a complex issue and this article and the researcher involved are doing some good things to understand the complexity of animal intelligence. Lori Marino recognizes animals as being persons. She has expanded her definition of person to recognize the qualities of the individual rather than just the biological species of the individual.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...nce-world/

I haven't read it all yet, but what I have read is significant. If we end up proving the personhood of even a few animal species, it is going to force us the change many things that we do.
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Catherine

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#2
Yes, it's a long article. I will read it in detail later. There seem to be quite a few paradoxes in her behaviour. But from what I've read so far, this lady has developed a long way - from deliberately damaging parts of rats' brains and then killing them....to becoming a champion of animal rights. I have bookmarked it for reading in detail later.

Most readers on this forum know already that animals have their own personalities - and the word "person" just comes from that. But some scientists are only just discovering that fact! If they had followed the path of love and compassion from day one, rejecting all cruelty and regarding animals as fellow species, they would have found out a lot sooner. But as the saying goes, better late than never....

A good find, Catherine. I shall definitely return to read this article more carefully.
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#3
A great article.

As Peter says, unfortunate that she was engaged in experimentation, then again sometimes you have to fall to get up and taking an entirely pragmatic view with anything like this the charge of being a 'bunny hugger' type will never be far away. Her past vivisection credentials shield her from that and reinforce her argument.

The gist of the piece is that here is a respected scientist who has been through the mill of animal study, the good and the bad, and emerged with solid evidence of cognitive and emotional capability, to the extent she recognises animals as indivualised beings - persons.

World changing? Realistically, no. Game changing? Yes. A first step on a long road.
Heart It is our deeds, the accumulated acts of goodness and kindness that define us and ultimately are the true measure of our worth. Service is the coin of the spirit.Heart

http://holy-lance.blogspot.com
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#4
Much as I detest anything to do with vivisection and animal experimentation. As far as I'm concerned it is abuse.
But it's true what you say Knight....because of her background, she will have a better chance of her findings being taken seriously.

I think we all have to go through our own 'wake up' moments. Some of us are born with an innate knowledge, and some are here to discover what comes naturally to others.

A very positive beginning. Thanks for this post Catherine!

Again, like LPC, I am in the position of having to read it tomorrow (very very late here!) But I am looking forward to reading this.
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#5
I have read parts of it. It does need further study as it is a long article. I think it really matters that she is a scientist and has done the traditional animal experiments and now sees things differently.
She still approaches the issue from a scientific point of view. Her words will carry weight with many people.

This is what we need. We need the people who are engaged in scientific research to change their thinking. They can still find ways to study things, they just don't need to engage in cruel and unnecessary actions.

When my grandmother was a girl she was not legally a person because women in Canada were not legally persons at that time.
She lived to see change. No doubt we will live to see some wonderful changes towards animals.
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Catherine

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#6
I didn't know that, about women in Canada! How awful, to our way of thinking today.
But it does go to show we do change as time goes by.
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#7
I don't think women have personhood status in every country even now.

We know that animals have poor protection in most countries. I see signs of change and I believe it will come. Having a scientist with good credentials will really help things along. Some people only believe the truth if the person speaking can put a fancy title in front of their name. She knows it and is counting on it to help the cause.
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Catherine

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