[ExI] The point of emotions

[Stefano Vaj]

On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 1:30 PM, Stathis Papaioannou <stathisp at gmail.com> wrote:
>  There are also practical and theoretical consequences to the theory
>  that other people have feelings; whether we can torture them with
>  impunity, for example.

Are there really? Many would assume that torturing without reason
something or somebody who persuasively show bad feelings about it
denotes sadistic instincts anyway, whatever the subject may "really"
feel.

>  Reluctantly, I have dropped that position and
>  now think that it is *very likely* other people have feelings.

Fine. It is therefore reasonable to make similar assumptions about
other biological or non-biological entities that exhibit a
phenomenically similar behaviour in this respect, as natural empathy
tends to dictate anyway.

Stefano Vaj