Full Idea
By nature animals are born with the faculty of sensation, and from sensation memory is produced in some of them, though not in others; therefore the former are more intelligent. …Animals live by appearances and memories, with little connected experience.
Gist of Idea
Animals live by sensations, and some have good memories, but they don't connect experiences
Source
Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 980a28-)
Book Reference
Aristotle: 'The Basic Works of Aristotle', ed/tr. McKeon,Richard [Modern Library Classics 2001], p.689
A Reaction
I assume that larger animals make judgements, which have to rely on previous experiences, so I think he underestimates the cleverest animals. We now know about Caledonian Crows, which amaze us, and would have amazed Aristotle.
Related Idea
Idea 23311 Aristotle sees reason as much more specific than our more everyday concept of it [Aristotle, by Frede,M]