Philosophical Questions: Freedom
Mar. 4th, 2023 12:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
If freedom is simply being able to do what you want, are animals freer than humans?
Animals are more free than humans to choose their actions based on whatever they want, whereas most humans are greatly limited by laws, expectations, and other cultural factors. However, animals are more ruled by instincts than humans, which curtails what animals want and choose; humans can (but often don't) decide to overrule their instincts.
If freedom is simply being able to do what you want, are animals freer than humans?
Animals are more free than humans to choose their actions based on whatever they want, whereas most humans are greatly limited by laws, expectations, and other cultural factors. However, animals are more ruled by instincts than humans, which curtails what animals want and choose; humans can (but often don't) decide to overrule their instincts.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-06 05:30 pm (UTC)Animals are more free if more freedom = a higher percentage of the available options are permitted. This also means that nonsocial animals are more free than ones that form cohesive groups, and more dominant animals are often-not-always more free than less dominant ones.
Humans are more free if more freedom = a higher number of available choices. For example, humans can choose for after-meal activities: sleeping, traveling, social grooming, sports, watching TV, playing with electronics, working on hobbies but animals are mostly restricted to the first four. Also, over a lifetime, humans have the chance to cultivate options animals couldn't conceive, like going to outer space or being a brain surgeon (though admittedly, not all humans are successful in such options.)
>>However, animals are more ruled by instincts than humans, which curtails what animals want and choose; humans can (but often don't) decide to overrule their instincts.<<
I find it amusing that the MY Instincts Are Showing trope applies to animal characters exhibiting animal instincts, because humans do have instincts. We are just biased enough to classify dominance spats as manners or temper rather than an instinctive response to social stimuli...
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MyInstinctsAreShowing
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-08 02:56 am (UTC)- Jasper (he/him)
Yes ...
Date: 2023-03-08 03:13 am (UTC)