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Sentient vs Sapient

Sentient vs Sapient

I have started a few threads about sentient beings, life forms doing things with "Feeling" or "Caring" if you will. I was told that I should use the word "Sapient" which refers to being "Wise" about decisions or knowledge to make the right choice. However for me they are two different things. It goes deeper than that… we would first have to decipher choice which is technically an electron-chemical reaction or lack thereof and whether we feel we should choose based on 'heart'. For instance, some creatures do not kill their young because after they have babies their body releases a chemical that inhibits their aggression. Were it not so they would kill them right away, in fact that is what happens when the chemical disperses during the time of the young one's growth. For others its more than that, they feel attachment and closeness to their young without any difference to their psycho-physio make up or in other words, 'that's just how they are… ', thus herein is the debate… is the word Sentient or Sapient when referring to life forms or does it depend.

Sapient Sentient

It seems I've started something here unintentionally.

Before we go much further, I think definitions of the terms are needed:
-Sentience is generally defined as the ability to subjectively feel, perceive, and experience. When the term was coined, it was used to describe an animal reacting to stimuli as distinguishable from the ability to reason.
-Sapience is generally defined as the ability to act with wisdom or judgement, and is related to the latin name for our own species, Homo Sapiens

I don't know who began it, but my understanding is the former term has been used in multiple pieces of science fiction media for decades to describe a being that is self aware, and people have been following suit.

So far as I can tell, there are billions of sentient species on earth that can be said to subjectively feel and experience things around them. Some perhaps less so than others, but still.

Edited: daishain on 31st Mar, 2017 - 5:30pm

Sentient vs Sapient UFO & Writing Art Education Sciences

Daishain,

So would you say that the only sapient species is us? Would some species of ape make it to the sapient table? How about dolphins and whales, do they qualify? Or, does a creature absolutely have to think and feel on human level to be sapient… which means we won't meet another sapient species until we meet an alien… and maybe not even then.

And yes, you opened this can of worms! .

Edited: Abnninja on 31st Mar, 2017 - 5:41pm

Sapient Sentient

I don't know for sure, and a large part of the problem is we don't have a good way to define sapience in a manner that we can look at a particular species and just give it a thumbs up or down.

That said, I suspect that elephants, dolphins, whales, and the Great Apes would be on the list, with a few others up for consideration.

Sapient Sentient

Elephants, there is a species that I forgot and should not have. Everything I've learned about them points to me that they are very intelligent and have "Feelings" that are quite similar to our own.

Sentient vs Sapient

There are many out there that would say that Dolphins are smarter than humans and maybe even whales or elephants too. I do not think we are the only sapient species here on this earth. I also doubt that we are the only planet that has a sapient species or two on it either. I have a feeling as we learn more we can find out that we are not as smart as we think we are.

Sentient Sapient

Well, that would depend on how you defined intelligence. I am confident humans (On average at least) have them all beat in regards to simple analytical and problem solving ability.

The marine mammals in question however put an incredible amount of brain processing power into their sonar. That isn't what I'd consider true intelligence, but it is definitely something to consider.

Sentient Sapient Sciences Education Art Writing & UFO

I will like to simplify it:
Sentient - Acting with caring (Feeling)
Sapient - Acting based on logic (Common sense)

When I use "Sentient" it is not based on science fiction, it is based on another debate (Which is covered elsewhere) that animals do care, feel and succor - they are not merely zombies existing for mankind's brutal will and stomachs or enslavement.

Look at the typical human, how many have you met that seem to be without any sentient or sapient characteristics? Therefore, in my mention of this case scenario: Pufferfish Mating Ritual: Mysterious Circles I was attempting to illustrate how the fish was doing it - was it just a chemical reaction as was debated here: Virus - Living Or Not? or was the fish really thinking… "If I put this shell here it will make her go wow!".

To act, be acted upon or react for me are all distinct behaviors affected by stimuli to our brain. Patterns reflect behavior which distinguishes various species.