Dog's umvelt, Elephant Crackup, Le Guin

The last readings: Le Guin’s Buffalo Gals, Dog’s Umwelt, Elephant Crackup, and the Secrets of the Mind video we watched were connected by the idea that perspectives are taken for granted by humans (and for all we know, raccoons and/or chimpanzees have the same problem) and by understanding our unique perspective, we could have a better idea of what makes us human. This was also emphasized by the observation assignment as we slowed down to examine our own perceptions closer. This lesson has helped me to understand my perspective better by realizing first of all, that other people may have different perspectives, and by understanding where mine differ greatly from other species and where I may share some with others. This helps me see the bigger picture of the universe, by helping me realize that others may see a different bigger picture….maybe… Overall, I think the lesson was very informative and eye-opening.

Jeff F.

Elephant Article

The reading on elephants was a very interesting one. It discussed to the social structure of a herd of elephants. It went as far to say that a herd is basically one elephant; as if one could not survive without the other. The entire herd revolves around the "mother matriarch" because she is the center of all knowledge. There are parallels between our society and that of elephants because we often use the term "Respect your elders." and "With age comes wisdom." and that is exactly how elephants function. The article also discussed the violence of elephants and how it was related to the detrimental effects that poaching has had on them. When the younger elephants lose the mother, or other significant figures of the herd, they have no guidance. They no longer have the close bonds to family and they become, for lack of a better way of saying it, cold and bitter. The younger males who don't have family ties end up causing the most damage. This article showed me that creatures can be complex beings as well, and the best way that we can understand them is to compare them to ourselves and find parallels.
Andrew Van Horn

Family Connections

The reading on elephants was a very interesting one. It discussed to the social structure of a herd of elephants. It went as far to say that a herd is basically one elephant; as if one could not survive without the other. The entire herd revolves around the "mother matriarch" because she is the center of all knowledge. There are parallels between our society and that of elephants because we often use the term "Respect your elders." and "With age comes wisdom." and that is exactly how elephants function. The article also discussed the violence of elephants and how it was related to the detrimental effects that poaching has had on them. When the younger elephants lose the mother, or other significant figures of the herd, they have no guidance. They no longer have the close bonds to family and they become, for lack of a better way of saying it, cold and bitter. The younger males who don't have family ties end up causing the most damage. This article showed me that creatures can be complex beings as well, and the best way that we can understand them is to compare them to ourselves and find parralells.

elephant world

the essay i read on the elephants almost made me sick. when they talked about having a group consensus on hanging an elephant who lashed out against her trainers i almost threw up. learning about elephants and how they have censors in their feet which can detect "messages" from other elephants from up to four miles away made me love them more. also, re-reading about the elephant family dynamic and how they mourn over other elephants', especially those in their families, deaths, linked them more to humans than other animals. the way they bury their dead and mourn over the bodies also connects them on a very emotional level to the world. i really like elephants, and reading about the depression raging through the elephant world made me really sad. the way they have been lashing out against the villiagers didn't make me feel as bad for the people as it did for the elephants. knowing that something is wrong with the entire elephant population worries me for the future, which could be potentially elephant-less. we don't seem to care about animals and their welfare in the wild as much as we should. we are such an egocentric species that we only worry about our own kind, and we don't worry about the world around us as much as we should. the essay made me really sad about the mistreatment of circus animals and the way we treat them when they lash out against us, as they have a right to do. we underestimate the intelligence of animals because they aren't like us. i take the elephants' side on this matter.

q

On "An Elephant Crackup?" by Charles Siebert
It verified what I already knew which is that animals are a lot smarter than most people give them credit for. This story confirmed that animals, especially elephants do communicate sophisticatedly, have incredible memories and can and will defend themselves when needed. Possibly as smart as humans? Second thing it verified is that there are too many people in the world and we need NOT exploit animals for our entertainment.
On "Origin of the Mind" by Marc Hauser
Marc Hauser has an entirely different point of view. His theory and those he references in his article believes that animals are not as intelligent as humans and that we are further up the evolutionary scale than they. I don't know. In this class we seem to be leaning toward the school of thought that humans are the most intelligent creatures. With the material we've read so far I am starting to have a broader point of view on human intelligence, one of which I had when I was a younger child. That is when I was younger I believed that we are the most intelligent beings, however when I got older and more mature and started believing in the possibility of evolution etc. and watching more nature television I came to discover that animals have incredible intelligence. Now I'm just confused! Who is more intelligent? What is intelligence? Who says so?
On "On Questions of Temperment" Demonic Males by Dale Peterson and Richard Wrangham give damning evidence against men. Whether it is inherent or learned or evolution is anybodies guess. But, Wow, 2 men wrote this? I have to admit more men have made messes of countries in modern days than women. Vote women into office...
On "Are We Born Moral?" by John Gray. He referenced a previous author's observation that primates don't like inequities in food distribution. I suppose in humans greed and generosity depend on your family size. Primates live in huge extended "family" units. I grew up with 6 brothers and sisters. We were expected by our parents et el to share. Furthermore sometimes you'd get your brains beat in if you didn't!
So, what am I learning? I'm not sure really. I thought I was well rounded but I am introduced to lots of new thoughts and I feel a bit lost, more so than in any other schooling environment. Bill Thompson.

Dog Umwelt/ Elephant Crackup?

Human and nature. Human nature. I suppose that when one thinks critically, it is safe to assume that though the two have different meanings, they can be interlinked.
When reading Horowitz's, Inside Of A Dog, and the article, Elephant Crackup, I definitely had to some critical thinking myself.
Though I have never had an actual pet, my family member around me did. My grandmother had a Great Dane. I never understood why friends cried when their dog died until our Rocky had to be put to sleep because of an enlarged heart. While reading the short article, it provided a small insight into a dog’s mentality. Their umvelt, their subjective or self world, is a perfect way of putting it. While they may participate in activities we engage in, it has a different meaning and difference to them. We as humans, for the most part thrive on our emotional senses. It was just amazing to also get a glance at how their sense of smell impacts other aspects of their life. Not just their noses.
An Elephant Crackup was an article that intrigued me. In reading this article I found myself asking,” What is going on with these elephants?” After reading more I found my speculations transforming from a defensive opinion to a thought of sympathy. It was amazing and heartwarming to see that the mentality and emotional state of these animals are a lot more sensitive than one would imagine. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is something that they can suffer from during their life span. Reading that young elephants can have this syndrome because of prior experiences of watching their parents poached, or killed in front of them causing them long term pain mentally and perhaps altering their behavior, really spoke to me. I also came to the sudden realization that took me back to certain events in my childhood that did damage to me. Things that I am recovering from that do have an impact and are factors in my thought process and values today. These animals have an amazing ability through action and way of life to express how they feel or state of mind and I find that amazing. I definitely agree with Bradshaw that there are ways to affect the lives of these elephants and our own to better live together instead of continuing with the cycle we are in now.