People so often jump to claims of anthropomorphism when discussing the faculties of other animals, and it’s so weird. This happens constantly when trying to get people to understand that animals suffer very, very deeply. Claims that suffering is somehow reserved for only homo sapiens seem to be founded in nothing other than the discomfort of needing to take other living things into consideration. This is true not only of suffering but really any sort of feeling.

We will look back on our current understanding of animals feelings one day like we look back on Descarte, who vivisected dogs because he was convinced they had no feeling whatsoever.

For a good overview of the history of, and philosophy of, discussing animals capacity to feel I suggest “A Plea for Animals” as continued reading.