Thanks Michael for your response and suggested framework—I really respect your history of thinking deeply about this issue, and I’m sure you understand it far better than me. I read some of your posts and @trammell’s post to try and inform myself about this issue and I confess that my understanding is partial at best.
When I say “intense or bigger sized” I’m talking about the experience, not the behaviour which may or may not approximate/indicate the experience. I might be thinking more along the lines of your “gradations in moral weight”, or Trammell’s “Experience size” concept.
Regardless of the framework I do believe that animals’ experience when a similar behaviour to a human is displaced, is likely less “intense or bigger sized” than a human and so there could possibly be some kind of discount applied. I also acknowledge like you and RP that there’s a smallish chance that some or all animals might be experiencing more.
Ah sorry, I should have read more carefully. You were clearly referring to the intensity or size of the experience, not of the behaviour. 4 hours of sleep and commenting before going to the airport. :P
I wrote more about experience size in the comments on trammell’s post.
Thanks Michael for your response and suggested framework—I really respect your history of thinking deeply about this issue, and I’m sure you understand it far better than me. I read some of your posts and @trammell’s post to try and inform myself about this issue and I confess that my understanding is partial at best.
When I say “intense or bigger sized” I’m talking about the experience, not the behaviour which may or may not approximate/indicate the experience. I might be thinking more along the lines of your “gradations in moral weight”, or Trammell’s “Experience size” concept.
Regardless of the framework I do believe that animals’ experience when a similar behaviour to a human is displaced, is likely less “intense or bigger sized” than a human and so there could possibly be some kind of discount applied. I also acknowledge like you and RP that there’s a smallish chance that some or all animals might be experiencing more.
Ah sorry, I should have read more carefully. You were clearly referring to the intensity or size of the experience, not of the behaviour. 4 hours of sleep and commenting before going to the airport. :P
I wrote more about experience size in the comments on trammell’s post.
Glad to see you found my post thought-provoking, but let me emphasize that my own understanding is also partial at best, to put it mildly!
I also left a comment related to neuron counts and things similar to experience size in point 2 here.