Do animals have souls?

[Cail]

You can count on it Iryssa.

[Iryssa]

Thanks, guys...and I'm really sorry to hear about your puppies, Danlo...it really is tough losing our friends...

[High Lord Tolkien]

My feet have souls.

My filet has a soul.

[Plissken]

James Brown has Soul!

(So does Rick James, bitch!)

[Lord Mhoram]

Cail,

That was a very touching story. I'm sorry for the lose of your dog, and Iryssa's and danlo's (though I heard about danlo's some time ago...)

Back on topic,

I suppose it depends on what your real interpretation of a "soul" is. I love my dog, and I love dogs in general, but I would have to say no they do not: technically, they do not possess the ability to reason and can't make decisions. Therefore, I'd say they have no "soul." Although, as dennis said they have "something." They aren't brainless animals.

[Gadget nee Jemcheeta]

Can't make decisions?
Hmm. I don't see how this can be supported...

[Edge]

If you're interested in the Biblical viewpoint:

In Ecclesiastes it says, 'Who knows whether the soul of man goes upwards and the soul of the animal goes down to the earth?' - clearly implying that animals do indeed have souls.

And the word used for 'soul' there is actually 'nephesh'.

[Worm of Despite]

Can't make decisions?
Hmm. I don't see how this can be supported...

I think they can make decisions. My dog, for instance, always decides to eat whatever food I give him, heh. Then again, some food he doesn't eat. That seems like decision, to me.

To me, my dog’s just as much a living creature as I am. He’s capable of a wide range of emotions, from happiness (when I’m with him/petting him), to anger (when someone he doesn’t know comes up to the house), to fear (when my grandfather sets a firecracker off to stop him barking, heh), to pain (pulling those huge ticks off him during the summer).

[Gadget nee Jemcheeta]

I agree. I think we differ from most animals in complexity, sure, but it's mostly just arrogance to say that we're the only ones making decisions.

Of course, I'm a hard line determinist...soooo...

[Lord Mhoram]

JemCheeta,

Can a dog make moral decisions, chossing between right and wrong?

[Vector]

Can a dog make moral decisions, chossing between right and wrong?

If trained as well as a human In fact I find many dogs and cats to be more loving and caring than many humans.

[Gadget nee Jemcheeta]

I'm a determinist, Mhoram. And an atheist. I think that dogs make decisions based on dog ethics. I think humans make decisions based on human ethics.

[dennisrwood]

dogs know the difference between right and wrong. they just have a different point of view on the validity of that difference. leave a steak on the table to see this in effect.

[Gadget nee Jemcheeta]

Right. And when you get home, before you even NOTICE the steak is gone, the dog knows. Because the dog hides.

[dennisrwood]

that is how we find out our dog has done something wrong most of the time. he skulks.

[Gadget nee Jemcheeta]

And if you punish him, he learns that he shouldn't eat the steak on the table. He might do it again, but if you continue to punish him, he'll learn that eating the steak is wrong.

[Edge]

If I leave steak on the table, my dogs won't eat it. They know I'd be disappointed, and when I'm disappointed with them, they are desperately unhappy.

I could never physically punish them; showing disapproval is devastating enough to them that it makes me feel like a monster.

[Iryssa]

My dogs can still decide whether or not to obey me, despite their training...and trust me...they do *grin*

[ur-bane]

I am right there with you, Iryssa! My dog is the same way. She is a mutt--her stubbornness comes from the Ridgeback in her, which is countered by the Yellow Lab in her.

She is very unpredictable, but still quite the loving animal. She looks all Ridgeback, and is a beautiful dog. And although I never physically punish her, she certainly makes it difficult to control myself.
She's only 13 months old, so hopefully she'll grow up and be less troublesome.

As far as a soul goes, if she's got one, it's the soul of a jester.

[safetyjedi]

My son's dog is really missing him since he left on Monday for Basic Training. She mopes around and keeps going to his room to see if he is there and looks outside at his car as is he should be here. I do believe they have souls.