Posted by Racer on May 17, 2006, at 22:04:46
In reply to Re: opinion survey » Estella, posted by sleepygirl on May 17, 2006, at 21:45:38
1. Do animals have emotions? That's one of those questions that really shouldn't be difficult: yes, animals have emotions.
What's that? You're asking me to back that up with evidence? OK, I can prove that ONE animal has emotions -- humans. Therefore, someone has to prove to me that other animals DON'T have emotions before I believe it.
So, I say, turn the question around: if humans have emotions, why should we believe that emotions come from our increased reasoning powers? Emotions are hardly the epitome of reason, are they?
2. What's most important about emotions? Personally, I tend to see things in terms of the physical response, probably since I don't recognize my own emotions. So, I'd say that the physical response happens, and the emotion follows from it. So, I'd vote physical, although I repeat that that opinion is based in my own psychopathology.
3. Unconscious emotion? I don't know. Since I won't be graded on this, I'd repeat what someone else said in this thread: no, we may not recognize the emotion, and the thoughts which provoked it may be unconscious, but the emotion itself is not unconscious.
How'd I do? Do I get an A? :-)
poster:Racer
thread:645293
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060513/msgs/645331.html