Paul Arden wrote:Modern fish started to evolve 380 million years ago. The neocortex and emotions/feelings/self-awareness and reason came much later. Hell, it's pretty limited in most animals but it does exist. I don't think sheep for example are the brightest animals on the planet, but there is a glimmer in there. With fish however, that glimmer simply doesn't exist and they're no more really than moving plants - the brain exists of course, but only controls the body - there is no "mind".
To my logic emotions developed from feelings of pain and pleasure. But it takes a brain that is capable of interpreting these, a brain that has an awareness of "self". No awareness of self = no suffering. Of course the fish body reacts to external stimuli, but there is no interpreting going on in that brain that would lead to the possibility of "suffering".
Cheers, Paul
But fish are not simply automatons - it wouldn't be a whole lot of fun if they were. They are capable of learning, in response to both positive and negative stimuli. They change their behavior if they are caught, in ways that make it less likely that they will be caught again, so clearly they don't like it. Equally, it is possible to train fish to do some limited things by using food rewards, so they also respond to things they like.
Learning requires interpreting and processing of stimuli, and developing a response to those stimuli. The fact that fish can do this shows that they are aware at least to a limited degree.
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