From the Dog Box: Disproving Descartes
Panksepp explains emotions and their associated feelings as evolutionary skills that are constructed in the brains of all animals to help face life challenges.
Descarte’s assertion that animals are mere automatons has finally and scientifically been put to rest!
Arguments against the reality of animal consciousness have served far too long to excuse human maltreatment of other animals.
ALSO READ : From The Dog Box: Why it matters to treat your pet empathetically
The 20th century “cognitive revolution” has led to some fascinating investigations into animal cognition by neuroscientists, ethologists, animal behaviourists and evolutionary biologists.
In 2012 the Cambridge Declaration on Animal Consciousness stated, “the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness”.
Affective neuroscience, pioneered by Jaak Panksepp, is the area of study focusing on the parts of the brain where neurons, emotions and cognition meet.
Panksepp explains emotions and their associated feelings as evolutionary skills that are constructed in the brains of all animals to help face life challenges.
Panksepp’s authoritative studies have revolutionised animal welfare concerns and are frequently cited by scientists exploring animal welfare.
By studying play in the brains of rats and guinea pigs, Panksepp has mapped and defined seven emotional systems (seeking, rage, fear, lust, care, panic/grief and play) in the mammalian brain subcortex.
For example, rats giggle during play and when tickled by the scientists. Sounds of joy and grief are not unique to humans.
The emotional mind is clearly identifiable in the human brain and likewise when observing animal behaviour and vocalisations.
Emotions serve to stimulate the brain to search for food (seeking), defend these acquisitions (rage), avoid danger (fear), choose mates (lust), protect offspring and loved ones (care), alleviate separation distress and maintain social contact (panic), and to feel joy, bond socially and learn to abide by social rules (play), or be cast out.
So Descartes was wrong!
All animals deserve to have emotionally rich lives and be treated with the compassion and respect we ourselves claim. Animals are not automatons!
Susan Henderson© (Accredited Animal Behaviourist)
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