Quote Originally Posted by Coelho
Well... i dont meant that the animals havent emotions. Only that we cant know for sure how they feel, with their animal minds, their emotions. Note that im speaking of the subjective experience of the emotion.
Is the same problem, how can i be sure that i see, lets say, the green color the same way any of you do? I see a color that was said to me that was called "green". And everybody else sees also this color, and calls it "green". But my question is how can i be sure that the "feeling" of green, that undescritible (does this word exist?) sensation my brain "feels" when it sees the green, the subjective perception of it is the same?
Or in other words, if i were able to enter other persons mind, to see the world as they see, does the green would look like the same as it looks like for me? Or, what i call green other person would see as blue, but call it green (cause they learned that color was called green)?
Thats what i mean about the animals emotions. I dont doubt they feel. But i still think its questionable to think they feel it like we do.
I've already covered this. Generally most people do perceive or feel things the same way.

People who have their perceptions mixed up or their senses. For instance. They may see the color green. The color green to us is the color green. But to them when they see the color green they may feel fear, joy, or see the number 2. This neurological condition is called synesthesia.

Animals have a hypothalamus and a limbic system just like we do. Studies show that the same/similar areas of the brain are responsive to different emotions with the secretion of the GnRH hormone as the animals go through their emotions.

With that said, I can no better perceive an animals sense of fear than I know what fear feels like to you. Earlier you stated that we can only perceive animals feelings from the outside. This is not true. We can see this in a lab environment as well. If you were saying the average Joe Shmoe at home can't truely tell then I suppose you're right.

Point being, Animals have emotions due to higher level brain functions in the hypothalamus/limbic system. Plants do not have this ability.