By Marco Adda

I’m thrilled to share some groundbreaking news with you!

On April 19, 2024, the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness was signed by a distinguished group of scientists and philosophers. This declaration is a monumental step forward in acknowledging that a wide range of animals, including all vertebrates and many invertebrates, are likely conscious and capable of experiencing the world subjectively.

Why This Matters

You might be wondering why this is so significant. Well, the declaration points to strong scientific evidence that mammals and birds are conscious. But it doesn’t stop there. It also highlights a “realistic possibility” that other vertebrates, like reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, as well as many invertebrates, such as octopuses, crabs, shrimps, and even insects, are conscious too.

Think about it: recent studies have shown that garter snakes can recognise their own scent, indicating a degree of self-awareness. Octopuses avoid pain and seek pain relief, suggesting they have subjective experiences. Cuttlefish remember specific past events, bees engage in play behaviour, and fruit flies exhibit sleep patterns disrupted by social isolation. These behaviours are fascinating and strongly suggest that these creatures have more complex minds than we’ve given them credit for.

It is evident how this goes way beyond the usual approach we may tend to have to humans-other-than-human-animal interaction.

In the Declaration considerations we can read:

What is consciousness? The term has a variety of meanings. The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness focuses on one important meaning, sometimes called “phenomenal consciousness” or “sentience.” The question here is which animals can have subjective experiences. This can include sensory experiences (say, the experience of a particular touch, taste, sight, or smell) as well as experiences that feel good or bad (say, the experience of pleasure, pain, hope, or fear). This sense of the term “consciousness” is what Thomas Nagel had in mind when he famously asked “What is it like to be a bat?”.

Subjective experience requires more than the mere ability to detect stimuli. However, it does not require sophisticated capacities such as human-like language or reason. Phenomenal consciousness is raw feeling—immediate felt experience, be it sensory or emotional—and this is something that may well be shared between humans and many other animals. Of course, human-like linguistic and rational capabilities may allow some humans to have forms of experience that other animals lack (e.g. a linguistic “inner monologue”). Likewise, many other animals may have forms of experience that we lack.

Ethical Implications

So, what does this mean for us? The declaration emphasises three crucial points:

1) There is strong scientific support that mammals and birds are conscious.

2) There is a realistic possibility that all vertebrates and many invertebrates are conscious.

3) Where there is a realistic possibility of consciousness, we have an ethical obligation to consider the welfare of these animals as individuals.

This third point is particularly important. Even though we can’t be absolutely certain about consciousness in animals (or even in humans), the mere possibility of sentience should prompt us to take their welfare seriously. Our current speciesist attitudes, which treat animals as mere resources, are ethically untenable. We need to adopt an anti-speciesist approach that respects the sentience of all beings, regardless of their species, where they live, or when they live.

Looking Ahead

The inclusion of invertebrates in this conversation is especially noteworthy. Despite making up the vast majority of animals on our planet, invertebrates are often overlooked in animal welfare considerations. Each year, hundreds of billions of invertebrates like crustaceans and insects are exploited by humans, yet they rarely receive attention from animal advocates. And let’s not forget the countless invertebrates living in the wild, facing challenges like disease, starvation, and predation. An anti-speciesist ethic implies that we should help them whenever possible, regardless of the source of their suffering. Consciousness is what matters, not species, size, or substrate.

What can you do?

Please spread the word by sharing this post on the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness and the compelling evidence of consciousness in a wide range of animals.

Together, we can make a significant impact!

Marco Adda | The Founder

AEDC Anthrozoology Education Dogs Canines - Academy
Supporting professionals. Shaping the life of people and animals.

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