Interesting article about anthropomorphization of (real) animals

[Frank LeRenard]

Ran across this the other day, and I thought folks here might enjoy it:

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cul...thropomorphism

Bonus quote from the article:
"In medieval and early modern Europe, the animal mind was considered sophisticated enough that errant dogs, pigs, and other domesticated animals could be put on trial for crimes. In one famous case, in fifteenth-century France, a sow and several piglets were charged with killing a child; the piglets were acquitted, but their mother was sentenced to death and hanged."


Thoughts?

[Antumbra]

Interesting read! I was a bit disappointed that when they mentioned times are changing and they didn't say everyone was eventually going to be a furry.

[Frank LeRenard]

I guess I found it particularly interesting, because I've had this idea bopping around in my head for a while that's pretty similar to what's being discussed here. People are always discussing things like 'what does it mean to be human', but most of the time I see that coming from the perspective of the humanities. Which is of course a fine place to discuss it, but in the end, it's a lot easier to see the whole from the outside, if you know what I mean, so it's been very interesting to follow some of the research in this area.

This article just gave the whole thing a good historical perspective that I was unaware of. I always thought (in Western culture, anyhow) the idea of animals as automatons emerged maybe with the monotheistic religions or something like that, but I guess not so much.

[RinkuTheRuffian]

I choose to be optimistic about this. Anthropodenial seems very real, and thinking we know all there is about animals is painfully ignorant; we don't even embrace all we don't know about ourselves!

[DrunkCat]

Bonus quote from the article:
"In medieval and early modern Europe, the animal mind was considered sophisticated enough that errant dogs, pigs, and other domesticated animals could be put on trial for crimes. In one famous case, in fifteenth-century France, a sow and several piglets were charged with killing a child; the piglets were acquitted, but their mother was sentenced to death and hanged."

I absolutely wish that were still the case. That way horrific things like this will not be so common. It boggles my mind to think that two lives are more important than one.

[MrFox]

I heard something like that at WTFurs 2015 about the humanisation of animals.

Animals who where giving humans attribue to judge them for crimes against humans.

Today we in a way still judge them when humans are victimes because of humans who make them do what the did. Pitbull who are becoming illegal because humans where attacked by them, but its the humans who make them like that.

[tholepin]

We, as pseudo-ritualistic creatures, and nearer to the ideal (albeit Romantic as hell) animal essence, could role play "a day in the life" of a den group meaningful to us. Using speech and/or body language, show how we, as the animal's essence, exist as a living being.

Any medium could work . . . and we seem to have just the players to make a clear statement.

Simply an idea.

Peace, Tholepin