Do Dogs and other Mammals have Morales - Page 1

Link to a short TEDx talk on animal morales and scientific evidence that mammals have morales.  Primates are the primary focus of these studies but elephants and dogs are also discussed.

http://www.ted.com/talks/frans_de_waal_do_animals_have_morals

only the ones from Spain or from Spanish descent

i watched a program on chimps, in the wild, a few years back. The very well done study of these animals in the wild, showed the Chimp's organized behavior just before they went out an killed a chimp from another group. No morals, just behavior

Depends what you mean by "morals";  if in the dictionary definition sense,

of being an ethical set of principles, usually laid down as part of a philosophical

and/or religious code, and concerned with "goodness" or "badness" or "right"

and "wrong", then no, I don't think animals have morals.  Or display 'moral' behaviour.

[ I don't believe humans are ALWAYS capable of living up to their moral standards,

let alone dogs or other animals who have distinctly different thought processes to

humans.]

But if you are asking can animals display kindness or altruism, then yes, I think they

sometimes do that.  Either to others of their own species, or to humans and other

animals.   If a GSD bitch fosters a lamb, or another bitch's pups, for instance, then

they are altruistic,  as there may be "nothing in it" for them, or there might be some

'selfish gene' consequence but they'd hardly be conscious of that.  I just don't think

there is anything 'moral' about that;  unless you want to put some anthropomorphic

swing on it - which only humans can do. 

Did any of you listen to the talk or are you just repeating the same old BS the Bible and the other organized religions use to justify slaughtering animals and sometimes human beings as well ( those who don't practice OUR religion).   A better question would be do humans have morales and the answer would be "it depends" on whether their cook book morales favor them over others and allow the use of force and murder to achieve their human goals of power and wealth.  I think we can safely say that some humans have and display morale principles just as do some animals.  The reverse arguement is equally true.

They have a great Cuchifritos in their cookbook  Pair that with their time honored Gazpacho and finish it with Natalie's flan and your belly will never be more content

Bubba, if you look in on the Off Topic Forum occasionally you'll be left in no doubt at all

that I for one do NOT base what I think on any religion.

LOL @ zdog - I might take BooBoo more seriously if the OP could spell the word asked

about !

moral to the story? never pay attention to a post from bubba anybody

Geez, all the guy did was post a link to an interesting program that's well worth a listen.

The answer to the question is 'yes', with regard to BOTH states: they have morals, and they have morales. I'm sick of our species insisting that others can't be as smart or decent or anything as we, simply because they can't speak the same languages, create the same tools, etc., as humans. We do a damn poor job of speaking any of the cetacean languages--does that mean they're actually better than we are, since they seem to have learned to understand our gutteral sounds far more fluently than we have translated their high-frequency sounds.

bubba, I think you'll appreciate these as well:  Radiolab: Kanzi/Great Ape Trust

Radiolab: Lucy [Part 1]    and  Radiolab: Lucy [the Epilogue]

Spoiler alert, Lucy's story may be difficult to listen to...at least the Epilogue.

Worth a listen, yes - but it appeared to be confusing the two concepts I defined ^^^;

which I reckon is anthropomorphic.   I didn't find it convincing me of anything other

than that;  and I honestly do approach these things with as much of an open mind as

I can muster.

I agree with you Hexe about other species languages etc, I think there is still a great

deal to be learned and we should be receptive to it;  but has there been any sign so

far that those animals are communicating about a code of ethics, as well as where

the fish are or that a predator is approaching ?