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Single Idea 4264

[filed under theme 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 1. Perception ]

Full Idea

Perception is a higher state than sensation: it involves not just a response to the outer world, but also an assessment of it.

Gist of Idea

Perception (which involves an assessment) is a higher state than sensation

Source

Roger Scruton (Animal Rights and Wrongs [1996], p.14)

Book Ref

Scruton,Roger: 'Animal Rights and Wrongs' [Demos 1996], p.14

A Reaction

This seems to me a simple but really important distinction, even though it wickedly uses the word 'higher', which Greeks like but post-Humeans struggle with. But we all know it is higher, don't we?

Related Idea

Idea 7710 Perception is a mode of belief-acquisition, and does not involve sensation [Lowe]

The 33 ideas from 'Animal Rights and Wrongs'

4295 We favour our own animals over foreign ones because we see them as fellow citizens [Scruton]
4296 Brutal animal sports are banned because they harm the personality of the watcher [Scruton]
4263 Many of the stranger forms of life (e.g. worms) interest us only as a species, not as individuals [Scruton]
4264 Perception (which involves an assessment) is a higher state than sensation [Scruton]
4265 If an animal has beliefs, that implies not only that it can make mistakes, but that it can learn from them [Scruton]
4266 Having beliefs involves recognition, expectation and surprise [Scruton]
4267 Conditioning may change behaviour without changing the mind [Scruton]
4268 Animals command our sympathy and moral concern initially because of their intentionality [Scruton]
4269 An emotion is a motive which is also a feeling [Scruton]
4270 Do we use reason to distinguish people from animals, or use that difference to define reason? [Scruton]
4271 There is consciousness whenever behaviour must be explained in terms of mental activity [Scruton]
4272 Our concept of a person is derived from Roman law [Scruton]
4273 Kant's Moral Law is the rules rational beings would accept when trying to live by agreement [Scruton]
4274 The modern virtues are courage, prudence, wisdom, temperance, justice, charity and loyalty [Scruton]
4276 An animal has individuality if it is nameable, and advanced animals can respond to their name [Scruton]
4277 I may avoid stepping on a spider or flower, but fellow-feeling makes me protect a rabbit [Scruton]
4278 Lucky animals are eaten by large predators, the less lucky starve, and worst is death by small predators [Scruton]
4279 We can easily remove the risk of suffering from an animal's life, but we shouldn't do it [Scruton]
4280 Utilitarianism is wrong precisely because it can't distinguish animals from people [Scruton]
4282 Morality is not a sort of calculation, it is what sets the limits to when calculation is appropriate [Scruton]
4281 Utilitarianism says we can't blame Stalin yet, but such a theory is a sick joke [Scruton]
4283 Sympathy can undermine the moral order just as much as crime does [Scruton]
4284 All moral life depends ultimately on piety, which is our recognition of our own dependence [Scruton]
4285 As soon as we drop self-interest and judge impartially, we find ourselves agreeing about conflicts [Scruton]
4286 Only just people will drop their own self-interests when faced with an impartial verdict [Scruton]
4287 Utilitarianism merely guides us (by means of sympathy) when the moral law is silent [Scruton]
4288 Many breeds of animals have needs which our own ancestors planted in them [Scruton]
4289 Sheep and cattle live comfortable lives, and die an enviably easy death [Scruton]
4290 That which can only be done by a callous person, ought not to be done [Scruton]
4292 Concern for one animal may harm the species, if the individual is part of a bigger problem [Scruton]
4291 Letting your dog kill wild rats, and keeping rats for your dog to kill, are very different [Scruton]
4293 Introducing a natural means of controlling animal population may not be very compassionate [Scruton]
4294 Animals are outside the community of rights, but we still have duties towards them [Scruton]