Maybe They are Just Being There (Here)

• Human Judgements of Animal Actions by John Fentress, 10/10/97
  • The Fallacy of Immaculate Perception by Lee Dean, 10/14/97
    
    

I agree that animals give every sign of being locked into the concrete "here and now", though such things are hard to test. People, as Jung and others reminded us, seem to need explanation - for everything. The sun is setting; its the gods, or physics. Maybe dogs (or wolves) do that, but I suspect they notice that it is getting dark, and arrange their behavior accordingly without too much reflection on the matter.

I remember a wonderful Seasame Street: Bart (?) wanted to got from "here to there". Did so, and was proud to be "there", only to have his illusion shattered by his right wing friend who pointed out (correctly) that he was now "here". Truly could not get there from here. Wolves are probably always "here", and "now" to a great extent. I see no evidence that they reflect deeply on the nature of "there", but do get there, if its important to have there "here".

Of course: how do we ask them?

John

• Cats and Mystics by Lee, 10/23/97