ON THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ANIMALS ARE AUTOMATA, AND ITS HISTORY

Thomas H. Huxley

THOMAS HUXLEY

(1825-1895)➤ accomplished biologist ➤ “Darwin’s bulldog” ➤ grandfather of Aldous Huxley

RENE DESCARTES

(1596-1650)mathematician, scientist, philosopher

COMMON SENSE ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS

➤Argument is valid. ➤Would Descartes agree that…

➤ the argument is sound? ➤Premise 1 is true? ➤Premise 2 is true? ➤ the conclusion is true?

➤Would Huxley agree that… ➤ the argument is sound? ➤Premise 1 is true? ➤Premise 2 is true? ➤ the conclusion, (3), is true?

1. Animals display coordinated movement.

2. Coordinated movement requires consciousness.

3. Therefore, animals are conscious.

SPINAL INJURY

➤ If spinal cord severed…

➤ reflexes intact in humans…

➤ coordinated movements to remove acid in frogs…

➤ but no pain felt below lesion.

➤ How do we know?

➤ Huxley: anterior (front) brain necessary for consciousness

➤ consciousness vs. ability to report consciousness

➤ “De non apparentibus et de non existentibus eadem est ratio.”

LOBOTOMIZED FROG: SWIMS, BALANCES, SWALLOWS, NAVIGATES

EVOLUTIONARY ARGUMENT FOR ANIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS

➤(2) and (3) assumed obvious

➤(1) is the “doctrine of continuity”

1. Complex natural phenomena are always preceded by simpler modifications.

2. Human consciousness is a complex natural phenomenon.

3. If human consciousness was preceded by simpler modifications, then some animals are conscious.

4. Therefore, some animals are conscious.

“But though we may see reason to disagree with Descartes’ hypothesis that brutes are unconscious machines, it does not follow that he was wrong in regarding them as automata.

-Huxley (pg. 28, right column)

Epiphenomenalism: mental states have physical causes but no physical effects

epi (“=above / in addition to”) + phenomenon + ism