Determinism and animals

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Tomdstone said:
You say that they “all have free will”? Would that include reptiles such as lizards and insects such as mosquitoes ?
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They are conscious! Aren’t they? This means that they see options and they can choose!
 
Tomdstone said:
So, do animals such as dogs, have souls?
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Hi Tomdstone:D The soul is the mind and yes my “baby girl” (terms of endearment) Grace (Walker Coon Hound) who is now a little over four years old and weighing in at 89 lbs. most definately has a mind. 😃 She is very intelligent! I can’t begin to list what she can do, but most important of everything she can do is the fact that she is beautiful inside and out. She was very sick when I rescued her at two weeks old since her mother and siblings died. I can’t begin to tell you how smart and sweet she is. Let me just say she amazes me and people who meet her everyday. 🙂 Oh, she did save my life three times. She is my protector. Her 5 senses are far above that of a human. Take care.🙂
 
Bahman said:
Yes.
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Have you read any of Fabre’s works on insects? Caterpillars that can only follow a silk line would sooner starve to death crawling in a circle than leave it to go find food. It doesn’t seem very rational to me.
 
YosefYosep said:
Animals don’t have free will. They can’t transcend their instincts. Does this mean that all their actions are determined by the external world (ie determinism)? They can’t really will anything?
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Animals cannot will anything because they do not have a will or free will as we do. Free will pertains to the power of choice, we can will or not will to do something or will to do this or that. Since animals do not have free will they do not have the power of choice. Animals do not have reason either as we do, they cannot deliberate or take counsel over some course of action or some other action. Human beings are not determined by nature to one determinate action or effect but they can deliberate over a number of choices and then decide which one to choose by their will. Since animals are devoid of reason and free will, their actions are determined by another, namely, God, who created the animals with specific natures and natural instincts by which they are directed by God to a determinate action as an arrow is directed to its mark by the archer. The actions of animals are not entirely determined by the external world but they are determined by the natures and natural instincts God created them with also. An animal can be moved by something exteriorly to it as when, for example, a lion who is hungry sees a deer and wants to eat it. Animals do not reason or deliberate over what they do or ought to do, they are moved by nature and natural instinct and ultimately by God directing them by His providence who has care of all things.
 
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