Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

292 | Jonathan Birch on Animal Sentience

Oct 14, 2024

01:10:42

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Join Jonathan Birch, a Professor at the LSE and author of "The Edge of Sentience," as he dives into the intriguing world of animal sentience. He discusses the critical differences between consciousness and sentience, shedding light on how various creatures experience emotions. Birch challenges traditional views on animal welfare, addressing the ethics of practices like boiling crustaceans alive. With insights into anticipatory reasoning in animals and recent scientific declarations on sentience, this conversation highlights our ethical responsibilities towards non-human beings.

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Quick takeaways

Sentience, defined as the capacity for valenced experiences, serves as a clearer ethical framework for how we treat living beings.

Behavioral and neurological evidence from various species reveals complex decision-making processes, suggesting a broader range of sentient candidates.

The recognition of animal sentience is shaping public policy, exemplified by the UK's Animal Welfare Sentience Act, promoting humane treatment.

Deep dives

The Concept of Sentience

Sentience refers to the capacity for valenced experiences, such as feelings of pain and pleasure, distinguishing it from the more ambiguous concept of consciousness. Unlike consciousness, which has various interpretations and associations with self-awareness, sentience provides a clearer framework for understanding the ethical implications of how we treat living beings. The discussion emphasizes the importance of recognizing which animals may possess this quality, thereby informing our moral responsibilities towards them. This concept moves the conversation from vague ideas about consciousness to more concrete ethical considerations regarding sentient beings.

The Cambridge Declaration (2012) and New York Declaration (2024) aimed to raise…

02:34

Intro

2min

Exploring the Nuances of Consciousness and Sentience

3min

Exploring Animal Sentience vs. Consciousness

12min

Exploring Animal Sentience and Its Ethical Implications

2min

Exploring Animal Sentience

16min

Anticipatory Reasoning in Animals

6min

Exploring Animal Sentience

7min

Exploring Sentience: Plants, Animals, and Perspectives on Consciousness

3min

Ethical Considerations in the Treatment of Crustaceans

2min

10.

Navigating the Ethics of Sentience

22min

It's not immoral to kick a rock; it is immoral to kick a baby. At what point do we start saying that it is wrong to cause pain to something? This question has less to do with "consciousness" and more to do with "sentience" -- the ability to perceive feelings and sensations. Philosopher Jonathan Birch has embarked on a careful study of the meaning of sentience and how it can be identified in different kinds of organisms, as he discusses in his new open-access book The Edge of Sentience. This is an example of a question at the boundary of philosophy and biology with potentially important implications for real-world policies.

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Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024/10/14/292-jonathan-birch-on-animal-sentience/

Jonathan Birch received his Ph.D. in the philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Philosophy Logic and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He is one of the authors of the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness, and has advised the British government on matters of animal cruelty and sentience.

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Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

292 | Jonathan Birch on Animal Sentience