Animal sentience

TagLast edit: Jun 8, 2022, 3:33 PM by Pablo

This entry discusses specifically the question of whether nonhuman animals are sentient. For discussion about the moral significance of sentience or its distribution, see sentience.

Animal sentience is the study of the affective capacities of nonhuman animals, i.e. their capacity to have subjective experiences.

Rethink Priorities’ Welfare Range Estimates

Bob FischerJan 23, 2023, 11:37 AM

351 points

129 comments16 min readEA link

Notes from “Cognition, welfare, and the problem of interspecies comparisons”

Barry GrimesNov 16, 2021, 9:17 AM

30 points

0 comments11 min readEA link

Short Research Summary: Can insects feel pain? A review of the neural and behavioural evidence by Gibbons et al. 2022

Meghan BarrettNov 22, 2022, 4:46 PM

214 points

22 comments3 min readEA link

(authors.elsevier.com)

The Risks and Rewards of Prioritizing Animals of Uncertain Sentience

Bob FischerOct 16, 2023, 9:50 AM

129 points

21 comments26 min readEA link

What might decorticate rats tell us about the distribution of consciousness?

Derek ShillerJul 20, 2022, 12:00 PM

31 points

14 comments10 min readEA link

What Do Unconscious Processes in Humans Tell Us About Sentience?

Daniela WaldhornJun 14, 2019, 11:21 PM

40 points

10 comments19 min readEA link

Research summary: brain cell counts in Black Soldier Flies (Hermetia illucens; Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

Rethink PrioritiesAug 15, 2022, 11:44 PM

67 points

2 comments14 min readEA link

(www.sciencedirect.com)

Invertebrate Sentience: A Useful Empirical Resource

Jason SchukraftJun 12, 2019, 1:15 AM

89 points

4 comments32 min readEA link

Features Relevant to Invertebrate Sentience, Part 2

Jason SchukraftJun 11, 2019, 3:23 PM

25 points

12 comments25 min readEA link

How Honey Bees Think

Group OrganizerJun 6, 2024, 8:53 PM

8 points

0 comments1 min readEA link

The Evolution of Sentience as a Factor in the Cambrian Explosion: Setting up the Question

Max_CarpendaleMar 11, 2019, 5:54 PM

30 points

2 comments7 min readEA link

Opinion: Estimating Invertebrate Sentience

Jason SchukraftNov 7, 2019, 2:38 AM

134 points

36 comments23 min readEA link

Invertebrate Welfare Cause Profile

Jason SchukraftJul 9, 2019, 5:28 PM

118 points

14 comments42 min readEA link

Invertebrate Sentience: Summary of findings, Part 1

Daniela WaldhornJun 14, 2019, 5:35 PM

49 points

1 comment7 min readEA link

Features Relevant to Invertebrate Sentience, Part 3

Jason SchukraftJun 12, 2019, 2:49 PM

27 points

7 comments28 min readEA link

Features Relevant to Invertebrate Sentience, Part 1

Jason SchukraftJun 10, 2019, 6:00 PM

50 points

2 comments26 min readEA link

Announcing the Launch of the NYU Mind, Ethics, and Policy Program

Sofia_FogelSep 19, 2022, 2:33 PM

107 points

4 comments1 min readEA link

Differences in the Intensity of Valenced Experience across Species

Jason SchukraftOct 30, 2020, 1:13 AM

94 points

42 comments52 min readEA link

Please Test/Share my New Vegan Video Game

scottxmulliganMay 29, 2021, 10:21 PM

24 points

10 comments1 min readEA link

Research Summary: The Intensity of Valenced Experience across Species

Jason SchukraftNov 11, 2020, 5:26 PM

65 points

6 comments4 min readEA link

Jason Schukraft: Moral standing and cause prioritization

EA GlobalOct 24, 2020, 7:56 PM

9 points

0 comments1 min readEA link

(www.youtube.com)

Suffering in Animals vs. Humans

Brian_TomasikAug 15, 2017, 12:03 AM

21 points

0 comments6 min readEA link

(reducing-suffering.org)

How to Measure Capacity for Welfare and Moral Status

Jason SchukraftJun 1, 2020, 3:01 PM

71 points

19 comments41 min readEA link

Invertebrate Sentience: Summary of findings, Part 2

Daniela WaldhornJun 14, 2019, 9:19 PM

71 points

3 comments44 min readEA link

The Promise and Perils of Insect Farming

EA Forum ArchivesMay 10, 2021, 7:00 AM

18 points

0 comments6 min readEA link

(eepurl.com)

Invertebrate sentience: A review of the neuroscientific literature

JamieGittinsJul 30, 2019, 3:55 PM

44 points

1 comment22 min readEA link

UK government plan for animal welfare

Matt_SharpMay 12, 2021, 1:50 PM

20 points

0 comments1 min readEA link

What Is the Total Global Capability for Suffering and Joy? A Call for a Collaborative EA Project

alamo 2914Nov 26, 2022, 12:42 PM

−2 points

3 comments1 min readEA link

Invertebrate Sentience Table

Daniela WaldhornJun 14, 2019, 3:57 PM

92 points

22 comments3 min readEA link

If Adult Insects Matter, How Much Do Juveniles Matter?

Bob FischerFeb 6, 2023, 1:33 PM

93 points

11 comments25 min readEA link

Why Neuron Counts Shouldn’t Be Used as Proxies for Moral Weight

Adam ShriverNov 28, 2022, 12:07 PM

291 points

45 comments9 min readEA link

(docs.google.com)

Episode #179 - Why is consciousness something worth talking about? - Philosophize This!

Eevee🔹Jul 4, 2023, 6:38 PM

9 points

0 comments1 min readEA link

(www.philosophizethis.org)

Episode #180 - What if everything is consciousness? - Philosophize This!

Eevee🔹Jul 4, 2023, 6:43 PM

8 points

0 comments1 min readEA link

(www.philosophizethis.org)

Episode #181 - What if consciousness is an illusion? - Philosophize This!

Eevee🔹Jul 4, 2023, 6:45 PM

10 points

0 comments1 min readEA link

(www.philosophizethis.org)

A Primer for Insect Sentience and Welfare (as of Sept 2023)

Meghan BarrettSep 26, 2023, 10:40 PM

118 points

3 comments8 min readEA link

Solution to the two envelopes problem for moral weights

MichaelStJulesFeb 19, 2024, 12:15 AM

66 points

26 comments27 min readEA link

Which animals realize which types of subjective welfare?

MichaelStJulesFeb 27, 2024, 7:31 PM

22 points

0 comments18 min readEA link

Shrimp Neuroanatomy

brighter_futureDec 26, 2023, 4:06 AM

19 points

0 comments2 min readEA link

Mike, Mouse, Moth, Machine

tobyjDec 27, 2023, 10:02 AM

23 points

4 comments7 min readEA link

(seekingtobejolly.substack.com)

The Emerging Science of Animal Consciousness

Group OrganizerApr 10, 2024, 9:43 PM

6 points

2 comments1 min readEA link

The scale of animal agriculture

MichaelStJulesMay 16, 2024, 4:01 AM

49 points

4 comments3 min readEA link

Animals matter a lot on non-hedonic views

MichaelStJulesOct 16, 2024, 6:15 PM

51 points

0 comments3 min readEA link

New Open Access Book: Weighing Animal Welfare, edited by Bob Fischer

Bob FischerOct 22, 2024, 11:25 AM

145 points

9 comments2 min readEA link

Once More, Without Feeling (Andreas Mogensen)

Global Priorities InstituteJan 21, 2025, 2:53 PM

32 points

1 comment2 min readEA link

(globalprioritiesinstitute.org)

Valuing Impacts Across Species: A Research Agenda

Bob FischerNov 4, 2024, 11:55 AM

45 points

1 comment22 min readEA link

New Global Priorities Institute research agendas

Global Priorities InstituteNov 29, 2024, 1:26 PM

60 points

11 comments1 min readEA link

(globalprioritiesinstitute.org)

Only mammals and birds are sentient, according to neuroscientist Nick Humphrey’s theory of consciousness, recently explained in “Sentience: The invention of consciousness”

ben.smithDec 27, 2023, 6:18 AM

61 points

37 comments9 min readEA link

Interview with Michael Tye about invertebrate consciousness

Max_CarpendaleAug 8, 2019, 10:13 AM

32 points

5 comments5 min readEA link

(Video) Why Vegans Are So Annoying

cryptopsyfan69420Sep 6, 2021, 4:11 AM

4 points

0 comments1 min readEA link

Widespread values brainstorming

brb243Mar 15, 2022, 12:45 PM

9 points

2 comments1 min readEA link

Why I’m focusing on invertebrate sentience

Max_CarpendaleDec 8, 2018, 7:24 PM

56 points

24 comments6 min readEA link

Quadrillion-dollar bills on the sidewalk? Quantifying animal welfare changes

AdamCFeb 9, 2025, 10:23 PM

48 points

2 comments13 min readEA link

Why should I care about insects?

JamieGittinsMay 18, 2022, 7:37 PM

88 points

20 comments5 min readEA link

New Report on Consciousness and Moral Patienthood

lukeprogJun 6, 2017, 1:21 PM

21 points

1 comment2 min readEA link

(www.openphilanthropy.org)

Moral Weights of Six Animals, Considering Viewpoint Uncertainty—Seeds of Science call for reviewers

rogersbacon1May 26, 2022, 1:28 PM

23 points

5 comments1 min readEA link

[Question] Career advice for Australian science undergrad interested in welfare biology

ripbennyharveyJul 21, 2021, 5:53 AM

20 points

6 comments2 min readEA link

Interview with Shelley Adamo about invertebrate consciousness

Max_CarpendaleJun 21, 2019, 2:40 PM

37 points

3 comments9 min readEA link

The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI

J. BirchAug 6, 2024, 8:21 PM

104 points

5 comments2 min readEA link

Call for Expressions of Interest: NYU Wild Animal Welfare Summit

Sofia_FogelJan 10, 2024, 4:42 AM

48 points

1 comment2 min readEA link

Rebutting Every Objection To Giving To The Shrimp Welfare Project

Bentham's BulldogNov 22, 2024, 4:11 PM

34 points

8 comments8 min readEA link

Should ChatGPT make us downweight our belief in the consciousness of non-human animals?

splinterFeb 18, 2023, 11:29 PM

11 points

15 comments2 min readEA link

Rabbits, robots and resurrection

Patrick WilsonMay 10, 2022, 3:00 PM

9 points

0 comments15 min readEA link

Dr. Heather Browning on animal sentience and ethics

Karthik PalakodetiOct 19, 2023, 8:49 PM

24 points

0 comments1 min readEA link

Launching a petition to END preprogrammed suffering in broiler chickens in Switzerland

Zoe NewtonSep 2, 2024, 6:58 AM

55 points

1 comment1 min readEA link

The case for conscious AI: Clearing the record [AI Consciousness & Public Perception]

Jay LuongJul 5, 2024, 8:29 PM

3 points

7 comments8 min readEA link

Wild animal suffering video course

Animal_EthicsJun 23, 2020, 12:19 PM

30 points

1 comment1 min readEA link

The pretty hard problem of consciousness

rgbAug 20, 2021, 10:30 AM

30 points

4 comments9 min readEA link

Free-Ranging Dog Welfare in India as a Cause Area

Akash KulgodAug 8, 2022, 2:53 PM

13 points

5 comments8 min readEA link

The illusion of science in comparative cognition

gavintaylorNov 2, 2019, 7:17 PM

27 points

3 comments1 min readEA link

(psyarxiv.com)

Arthropod (non) sentience

Arturo MaciasNov 25, 2024, 3:35 PM

−8 points

4 comments4 min readEA link

Do you want to do a debate on youtube? I’m looking for polite, truth-seeking participants.

Nathan YoungOct 10, 2024, 9:32 AM

19 points

3 comments1 min readEA link

Bulking information additionalities in global development for medium-term local prosperity

brb243Apr 11, 2022, 5:52 PM

4 points

0 comments4 min readEA link

Common-sense sentience is dubious

Timothy ChanMar 21, 2023, 3:32 PM

24 points

4 comments7 min readEA link

Resources on Animal Ethics and Helping Animals

Eleos Arete CitriniSep 10, 2021, 11:22 PM

34 points

2 comments1 min readEA link

What if we are the jellyfish of this moment?

Dave Cortright 🔸Apr 3, 2023, 5:32 AM

4 points

0 comments3 min readEA link

Strategies for helping farmed shrimp

Hannah McKay🔸Nov 16, 2024, 10:49 AM

47 points

4 comments3 min readEA link

Research Summary: The Subjective Experience of Time

Jason SchukraftAug 10, 2020, 1:28 PM

83 points

7 comments4 min readEA link

Announcing the Animal Welfare Library 🦉

arvommMay 17, 2023, 5:07 PM

68 points

2 comments2 min readEA link

Beyond Humans: Why All Sentient Beings Matter in Existential Risk

Teun van der WeijMay 31, 2023, 9:21 PM

12 points

0 comments13 min readEA link

Does Critical Flicker-Fusion Frequency Track the Subjective Experience of Time?

Jason SchukraftAug 3, 2020, 1:30 PM

68 points

20 comments26 min readEA link

Interview with Jon Mallatt about invertebrate consciousness

Max_CarpendaleApr 28, 2019, 5:52 PM

83 points

12 comments11 min readEA link

Sentientism: Improving the human epistemology and ethics baseline

JamieWoodhouseMar 27, 2019, 3:34 PM

8 points

6 comments1 min readEA link

Introduction to wild animal suffering: A guide to the issues

Animal_EthicsApr 3, 2020, 8:53 PM

44 points

0 comments2 min readEA link

Are Organically Farmed Animals Already Living a Net-Positive Life?

Christoph Hartmann 🔸Oct 16, 2024, 9:08 PM

56 points

20 comments3 min readEA link

Why I Think All The Species Of Significantly Debated Consciousness Are Conscious And Suffer Intensely

Bentham's BulldogNov 20, 2024, 4:11 PM

65 points

26 comments33 min readEA link

#205 – The most insane things fish can do (Sébastien Moro on The 80,000 Hours Podcast)

80000_HoursOct 24, 2024, 7:27 PM

51 points

0 comments16 min readEA link

Evolution, Pain, Suffering, and Ed Yong

MattBallNov 24, 2022, 1:36 PM

13 points

4 comments2 min readEA link

(www.mattball.org)

Announcing The Moral Circle: Who Matters, What Matters, and Why

jeffseboJun 25, 2024, 9:10 PM

135 points

2 comments1 min readEA link

Banding Together to Ban Octopus Farming

Tessa @ ALINov 30, 2022, 2:14 PM

119 points

12 comments7 min readEA link

Octopuses (Probably) Don’t Have Nine Minds

Bob FischerDec 12, 2022, 11:59 AM

94 points

19 comments10 min readEA link

(docs.google.com)

Next Steps in Invertebrate Welfare, Part 1: Fundamental Research

Daniela WaldhornNov 11, 2019, 7:01 PM

55 points

4 comments22 min readEA link

Detecting Morally Significant Pain in Nonhumans: Some Philosophical Difficulties

Jason SchukraftDec 23, 2018, 5:49 PM

73 points

8 comments22 min readEA link

[Link] Assessing and Respecting Sentience After Brexit

MichaelStJulesFeb 19, 2020, 7:19 AM

17 points

0 comments2 min readEA link

Small animals have enormous brains for their size

eukaryoteFeb 13, 2019, 5:12 AM

72 points

7 comments2 min readEA link

(eukaryotewritesblog.com)

No comments.

An­i­mal sentience

Further reading

Related entries

Animal sentience