Your last line stuck with me: "You don't see the rats trying to make the world a better place."
Your statement strikes me as so very anthropocentric; as we humans "make the world a better place" (for ourselves) we are perhaps making it worse for rats or any number of other living things. When people say "make the world a better place" they mean "make the world more hospitable for human well-being." I agree this is a nice goal, but it really shows the selfish relativism of "good".
Animals & their welfare are important...But we are the only species who are capable of self-reflective change. Animals change if they are addressed at the level of instinct. We can do more than that...We can think about the fact that we think. We can reflect on the implications of our actions and their effects on the world. We may not be able to change quickly enough. We may be so apathetic we decide not to change, but we see the subjunctive future and act.
I agree. The challenge seems to be to find a way to capture collective action which at least equals the best intelligence of individuals. Right now even the most sophisticated democracy seems pretty stupid,
I'm a dog owner like you. Once we've mastered the pack leader role, the rest of dog training comes down to communicating our expectations to the animal and then holding the animal to those. Misbehavior will lead to a "Could do better!" correction.
I can change my own mind about what is most important several times within a single day depending upon what I'm paying attention to. Clean drinking water, for instance, just popped up as the most dire problem facing humanity. (What that has to do with your video is unclear.)
@angryislander56 Hi! I would never have found this awesome 'tuber if not for you... thanks (again) woman!!! re: lurking - I feel strangely compelled to make comments - even inane ones just to participate in the comment thread, I might have to rethink that practice. Re: "Gary" (I can't think of him as his familiar)
@angryislander56 cont. I watched part of the vid he is responding to - I can't get into immendham under any name - he just seems to hate everything and everybody... I know he's a smart guy and all and if you two are watching his vids there must be more to him than spite... I just don't see it...
No I DoNotInmendham LOL. (sorry) Smart maybe but no where NEAR as smart as he thinks he is. I do not think these two have a warm and fuzzy thing. We are doing that rude thing he refers to another recent vid. Talking about him while he is in the room:) I feel like a kid whispering in the back of a car. Although *these days* they would text rather than whisper. lol
Fred, I guess its the expectation that we can have of humans that also produces the notion of Idiocy. What I mean is we don't call animals idiots, we can say that certain herd herbivores are stupid, but not Idiots because we don't expect anything from them. Since we actually expect a certain "cogito" from people, they actually "earn" the title of idiots when they don't meet our expectations.
conferencereport Let's just say its one of the more attractive and appealing aspects of the national characteristic we possess....don't you realise that YOU TOO as Scottish? You belong to ECOSSE - (English Covertly Occupied Southern Scotland Extended)
Well, most of my grandparents were from north of the border, so I guess you have a point there. Re: 'Dr' - I'm offended you never mention my art 'O' level. Insensitive Scottish b'stard.
conferencereport You silly boy Frederick - see my website which talks about my Hearing Dog. Oh dear, oh dear oh dear, you are a very silly boy Dr Fred. - 2/10
@conferencereport I think he is referring to a certain YouTube """personality""" that has taken the screen name of Fred, and this entity is... highly demeaning of all the people that have the name Fred. So when I say Prof Fred, and the scotts say Dr. Fred its just to make the distinction. We don't want people reading our comments and thinking... that Fred...
@conference
Your last line stuck with me: "You don't see the rats trying to make the world a better place."
Your statement strikes me as so very anthropocentric; as we humans "make the world a better place" (for ourselves) we are perhaps making it worse for rats or any number of other living things. When people say "make the world a better place" they mean "make the world more hospitable for human well-being." I agree this is a nice goal, but it really shows the selfish relativism of "good".
h0tsex0r 1 year ago
This is such a great video!. Thank you
Professoranton 1 year ago
The Mary Midgley quote was spot on.
Animals & their welfare are important...But we are the only species who are capable of self-reflective change. Animals change if they are addressed at the level of instinct. We can do more than that...We can think about the fact that we think. We can reflect on the implications of our actions and their effects on the world. We may not be able to change quickly enough. We may be so apathetic we decide not to change, but we see the subjunctive future and act.
2bsirius 1 year ago
@2bsirius
I agree. The challenge seems to be to find a way to capture collective action which at least equals the best intelligence of individuals. Right now even the most sophisticated democracy seems pretty stupid,
conferencereport 1 year ago
This video is sticking, unlike 99.9% of other uploads by Fred.
All others don't stick like this one.
U5312N4M34Y0UTU133 1 year ago
I'm a dog owner like you. Once we've mastered the pack leader role, the rest of dog training comes down to communicating our expectations to the animal and then holding the animal to those. Misbehavior will lead to a "Could do better!" correction.
Ramiiam 1 year ago
yep... "Best" is subjective.
I can change my own mind about what is most important several times within a single day depending upon what I'm paying attention to. Clean drinking water, for instance, just popped up as the most dire problem facing humanity. (What that has to do with your video is unclear.)
E-
Elaina43 1 year ago
@Elaina43
Fancy meeting you here. Mostly I just lurk:)
I like it when he pwns gary
angryislander56 1 year ago
@angryislander56 Hi! I would never have found this awesome 'tuber if not for you... thanks (again) woman!!! re: lurking - I feel strangely compelled to make comments - even inane ones just to participate in the comment thread, I might have to rethink that practice. Re: "Gary" (I can't think of him as his familiar)
Elaina43 1 year ago
@angryislander56 cont. I watched part of the vid he is responding to - I can't get into immendham under any name - he just seems to hate everything and everybody... I know he's a smart guy and all and if you two are watching his vids there must be more to him than spite... I just don't see it...
Elaina43 1 year ago
@Elaina43
No I DoNotInmendham LOL. (sorry) Smart maybe but no where NEAR as smart as he thinks he is. I do not think these two have a warm and fuzzy thing. We are doing that rude thing he refers to another recent vid. Talking about him while he is in the room:) I feel like a kid whispering in the back of a car. Although *these days* they would text rather than whisper. lol
angryislander56 1 year ago
Fred, I guess its the expectation that we can have of humans that also produces the notion of Idiocy. What I mean is we don't call animals idiots, we can say that certain herd herbivores are stupid, but not Idiots because we don't expect anything from them. Since we actually expect a certain "cogito" from people, they actually "earn" the title of idiots when they don't meet our expectations.
InfectedDaemon 1 year ago
Bravo! Well said.
DanaGarrett 1 year ago
Oh, BTW - your website says you have a PhD so that makes ya a Doc dunnit.
kensho123456 1 year ago
conferencereport Let's just say its one of the more attractive and appealing aspects of the national characteristic we possess....don't you realise that YOU TOO as Scottish? You belong to ECOSSE - (English Covertly Occupied Southern Scotland Extended)
kensho123456 1 year ago
@kensho123456
Well, most of my grandparents were from north of the border, so I guess you have a point there. Re: 'Dr' - I'm offended you never mention my art 'O' level. Insensitive Scottish b'stard.
:)
conferencereport 1 year ago
@conferencereport Yeh sorry bout that sin of omission Dr O'Fred - and less of the Scottish, eh?!
kensho123456 1 year ago
conferencereport You silly boy Frederick - see my website which talks about my Hearing Dog. Oh dear, oh dear oh dear, you are a very silly boy Dr Fred. - 2/10
kensho123456 1 year ago
What is it about you Scottish blokes insisting on calling me 'Dr Fred'?
conferencereport 1 year ago
@conferencereport I dont want to give away your personal details online but lets just say your name takes the biscuit.
kensho123456 1 year ago
@conferencereport I think he is referring to a certain YouTube """personality""" that has taken the screen name of Fred, and this entity is... highly demeaning of all the people that have the name Fred. So when I say Prof Fred, and the scotts say Dr. Fred its just to make the distinction. We don't want people reading our comments and thinking... that Fred...
InfectedDaemon 1 year ago