Different in degree or kind: toddlers best apes (Introduction)

by dhw, Friday, May 20, 2016, 13:27 (3109 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: … I'm slightly surprised that you have included this under “Difference in degree or kind” and have left out the rest of the conclusion:
“The findings also suggest that humans and other great apes share a common, innate cognitive apparatus for understanding and manipulating the physical world.”
Not exactly difference in kind, then. - DAVID: Of course we have the same apparatus which recognizes reality. It is like saying we both have cameras. There is nothing in that sentence which describes anything of the degree of thought each species puts into its recognition of reality. If we both accept common descent, we started with the same basic facilities the ape still has, and advanced so far beyond it we are different in kind. - Recognizing reality is not the same as understanding and manipulating it. The article does not describe the senses (your camera analogy) but the intelligence that uses the information provided by the senses. However, you have made the point quite admirably yourself: there is nothing which describes “anything of the degree of thought…” Quite right. The article only shows that apes and humans understand and manipulate reality, but not the degree to which they do this. Ape tools are very, very, VERY primitive compared to our vast array of HUGELY complex machines. But our HUGELY complex machines are still tools. - We have certainly done this discussion to death now, but I presume you were goading me by including it on the “different in kind” thread!