Dogs and Freedom

I love dogs. Especially Terriers. But I’ve always had a question. Is it superficial to love them for their traits and personality, when their traits and personality are bred into them? This statement presupposes two things; that they are loved for their traits and personality, and that those traits and personality are bred into them. Both these sub-statements are both correct. Evolution and breeding have made dogs into fit companions for humanity. Certain breeds of dogs have inclinations towards different behaviours. These behavioural inclinations exist alongside physical traits. These inclinations are not absolute, but powerful influencers. Personality is almost guaranteed, because the breeding has been so refined. West-Hyland Terriers, for example, have a reputation as being lively, energetic, intelligent, and feisty, among others. Every Westie I know of has subscribed to these traits, although to differing extents and varieties. The question is whether these beings are just fulfilling a biological script (automaton) or whether there’s something more, as many people would hope. This ties into the greater question of free will, with the presupposition that in order for an entity to perform meaningful actions, and therefore be meaningful, it must have had the free will to choose that option.

Though the specific breeding with dogs is incomparable to humanity, the attempt to understand biological behaviour through cause-and-effect is something applicable to humanity, as well as other beings justifiably viewed as sentient. The main proof that dogs and other living creatures are not just “fulfilling a biological script” is as follows. Firstly, freedom of will cannot truly be quantified. It is inherently intangible. Also, just because something is more inclined to act in a certain way doesn’t mean it doesn’t have freedom. In addition, the concept of variety works in favour of freedom too; they can have these traits and inclinations, but to different extents per diversity.

Truly, there is no way to completely prove or deny free will, similar to god. In addition, the concept is not one concept, but an array of concepts, ranging from the scientifically empirical to the subjective spirituality to religious ideas. This dilemma of freedom is one that can be applied to similar creatures, even humanity. Is humanity biologically conditioned to act a certain way, which each individual following their own path like the mechanisms of a clock? All creatures have instincts, predilection towards certain behaviours, which then continue leading the chain of causality. With animals, anyone that spends enough time around them knows that they are comparable to humanity in their sentience, and emotions. They display emotions; anger, sadness, fear, joy, disgust, surprise, and others. Humanity is the same as them, in this.

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