[MD] Animals and MOQ

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Fernando]
What do you think about Quality in animals?  Are some of them, on 
their own point of view, better than one another?

[Arlo]
I think the way you are using "better" here represents a symbolic 
view (because it is comparative). And it reminds me of Pirsig's 
caution that an aboriginal could arrive in New York City and declare 
everyone "backwards" for not knowing how to use a boomerang. 
"Betterness", in terms of contrasted representational symbols, is a 
social-intellectual exercise and as such is something animals do not 
partake in (Having said this, I remind you I do think some animals 
make use of symbols, just not to the level of sophistication man 
does. And, of course, I do not think this makes animals "inferior" or 
"worse" than "man".)

To use both Pirsig's and Tomasello's vocabulary, animals are awash in 
immediate Dynamic experience, and make value-decisions therein, but 
lack the static ratcheting necessary to make social or intellectual 
value judgements (again, I don't mean this as blanketing as it 
sounds, I do think some animals, such as dolphins, do use rather 
sophisticated symbols).

Ultimately, of course, this question demands the point of view of the 
animal in question, without which we are only guessing. My experience 
with cats, by the way, tells me they do feel they are "better" than us. :-)