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“Humans are conscious because they have knowledge – via reason, logic, language and conceptualization – while animals are not because they lack reason, logic, language and conceptualization. Here we have an astounding difference. For rationalists, animals cannot be conscious. They can be sentient (have feelings, sensations and experiences), but without consciousness. For empiricists, animals can and indeed must be conscious because they have feelings, sensations and experiences. Rationalists distinguish between sentience and consciousness. Empiricists say they are the same thing. The differences between rationalists and empiricists appear everywhere, and basically create two competing worldviews, but which are often force-fitted together.” — Harry Knox

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Humans are conscious because they have knowledge – via reason, logic, language and conceptualization – while animals are not because they lack reason, logic, language and conceptualization. Here we have an astounding difference. For rationalists, animals cannot be conscious. They can be sentient (have feelings, sensations and experiences), but without consciousness. For empiricists, animals can and indeed must be conscious because they have feelings, sensations and experiences. Rationalists distinguish between sentience and consciousness. Empiricists say they are the same thing. The differences between rationalists and empiricists appear everywhere, and basically create two competing worldviews, but which are often force-fitted together.
— Harry Knox