- Anthropomorphic applied to animals
Reference: Article of Anthropomorphism and Anthropomorphic Selection – Beyond the “Cute Response” James A. Serpell
Anthropomorphism appears to have its roots in the human capacity for so-called “reflexive consciousness”—that is, the ability to use self-knowledge, knowledge of what it is like to be a person, to understand and anticipate the behavior of others (Humphrey, 1983)
From earliest childhood, it seems, we instinctively view other animals as social subjects (Myers & Saunders, 2002) and imbue them with human-like intelligence, desires, beliefs, and intentions.
Anthropomorphism has been a tremendous boon to animals according to the increasing amount of domestic animals, which species now vastly outnumber their wild ancestor.
From an animal welfare perspective, however, the effects of anthropomor- phism are far less benign. Anthropomorphic selection8—that is, selection in favor of physical and behavioral traits that facilitate the attribution of human men- tal states to nonhumans—imposes unusual and unique pressures on the objects of its attentions, in much the same way that the phenomenon of “female choice” does in sexual selection.
In the article of James, there are positive and negative thoughts from the author’s perspective. Anthropomorphism affects animals and importantly, the human response to animals. The article mentions examples of pets using humans “art of releasing and exploiting our innate parental instinct” to react “cute response” which is a classic example of pet and human interaction. It’s an interesting phenomenon that pet know how to “please” human in order to ask for their needs. It is also correspond the interview with La La’s owner, who claims that her pet will take his leash in front of the owner when he heard the owner said “let’s go downstairs”. Barking at the owner if they go out without him. which from the behaviors appear to this time, with his owner’s experience, is being told not to go outside without him. This case shows that La La could give his consent to his owner, have abilities to deliver his thoughts about what he like or dislike.
Animal right activists use Anthropomorphism instead of swing animal as private property, they view animals have the same hierarchy as human.
Negative points of Anthropomorphism:
- Over expectations of animal behaviors such as never to express their natural instincts
- Over feeding the pets
- …