[MD] epistemological first musings and poetry's recognition

[plattholden at gmail.com]

Ron,

We can only infer from behavior if a living entity has a sense of self. 
There isn't much evidence that a worm thinks of itself as a self like we 
humans do, but its behavior suggests that it, like us, has a sense of self-
preservation. We can also infer from its physiology that it has less 
access to awareness (consciousness) than we do. As for proof, well, 
that's as hard to come by as me trying to prove what someone is really 
thinking. Indeed, my knowledge of my significant other's "sense of" is 
mostly guesswork on my part. If you consider all that goes on "inside" 
the living entities of this world, we are ignorant of 99 percent of it. 
(Biologists, please note.)

Thanks for the question.
Platt   


On 17 Jun 2009 at 6:13, X Acto wrote:

> Platt,
> does a worm have a sense of self? how would one know this?
> -Ron
> 
> 
> 
> Platt:
> To be a self is to know what's good for you. Even a worm knows when it's
> better here than there. 
> 
> Ron:
> Agree, and that is Quality, but using this to rationalize justifications
> of superiority falls to the trap of thinking "I am better than you".
>