Do animals have a conscience like humans?
The answer to this question is not entirely clear, as there is still much debate on the subject. However, some scientists believe that animals do indeed possess a conscience similar to our own.
Related:
What is animal?
We belong in the same evolutionary group as what we call animals, but we often use the word “animal” to separate humans from other species. We have to keep in mind that we are all in the same tree of life; we are not special; we just got lucky.
Evolution of Morality
But first, we have to understand why we have consciences. As with everything in any living organism, if something gives any creature any advantage in survival, then likely, through millions of years, many changes will happen to that creature to give them a better chance of survival, so likely evolution is the reason why we have consciences.
Conscience is the ability to make moral judgments. It’s what allows us to tell right from wrong, and it’s a major factor in our decision-making process. So conscience must have some sort of evolutionary purpose, or else it wouldn’t have stuck around for so long.
One popular theory is that conscience evolved as a way to help us cooperate with others. In order for any social structure to function properly, its members need to be able to trust each other. And one way to foster trust is by having a shared sense of morality – knowing that we all believe certain things are right or wrong. This shared morality makes us more likely to follow rules and cooperate with each other, which benefits everyone in the long run.
So in reality, morality isn’t something very deep or mysterious; rather, it’s a solution from evolution to solve a problem for certain animals, who already started to have some kind of cooperative relationship with each other, and this only gets fueled when creatures start to have communication with each other.
Conscience In Animals
One of the main arguments for this belief is that many animals exhibit signs of guilt and remorse when they have done something wrong. For example, dogs will often hang their heads and avoid eye contact when they know they have been caught misbehaving. This suggests that they are aware of their actions and understand that they have displeased their owners.
Similarly, chimpanzees have been known to comfort others who are upset or grieving. They will frequently embrace and pat the individual, offering what appears to be sincere consolation. This behaviour is very similar to what humans do when someone we care about is hurting, and it suggests that animals are capable of empathy – another key component of conscience.
Of course, there are also those who argue that animals do not have a conscience in the same way that humans do. They point to the fact that many animals display aggression and violence without any apparent remorse or guilt. However, it is worth noting that even human beings are capable of such behaviour – often without feeling any guilt or remorse afterwards.
Conclusion
Ultimately, whether or not animals have a conscience like humans is still an open question. However, the evidence does suggest that some animals are capable of complex emotions and behaviors that appear to be driven by a primitive type of morality, but morality none the less.
