Dr. Lenny has a theory, but would like for folks to give it a few blind shots - just to see if my answer to the question is even in the realm of current thought - while anticipating a diversity of answers to a very vague open ended question.
Former sentient being
1 comment:
I have never been entirely sure what is meant by "sentience". In science fiction, being "sentient" is a prerequisite for having rights that must be respected. It sometimes seems to be a function of intelligence or, more often, self awareness; however, I don't know what is so special about these characteristics.
On an intuitive level, I imagine sentience as a characteristic that every living thing has to some degree. It is not a question of being sentient versus nonsentient but of being more or less sentient in the sense of being aware of the world and having options within it.
I regard my dogs as being as fully sentient as many humans.
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