Are animals capable of love?

[spinal_compression]

I'm by no means a critical thinker but...

So in religion class about a few months ago we had a discussion about how animals aren't capable of love while humans are.

The argument was that even though animals will be loyal to each other it's just their survival instinct and not true love. Meaning they think in the manner of, "Well this person is giving me food so I will stay with them to survive."

So are animals capable of the same love that humans are?

Discuss...

[jamuko]

I think in many instances that is the case, but I firmly believe that certain animals have formed bonds with humans that go beyond a simple need for food and shelter.

Take dogs for example (who would have guessed!). Dogs have been known to be loyal to their owners beyond all reasonable measures. Such a dog would not abandon his owner even if times were rough, and food was to be had elsewhere. I even recall a story about a man who died alone with only his dog, and his dog waited with him until he died of starvation.

It may be a very simple form of love; an idealized, arguably stupid, blind and simple pedistal love, but to me, it's still love, and I love them to death for it.

[flipsta_lombax]

The fact is: we will never know, since we are only humans.

But in my opinion, there has got to be a train of thought that animals play that let's them realize love and love in return. It's feasible to believe that, else they are just there to be there, and in that way I just don't think like the latter.

[OrganisM]

You've never heard of elephants before?

[Tyren]

Ultimately, I'd say animals have the opportunity experiencing love. To eliminate confusion though lets first deduce what love means.

Love is generated from a strong emotional attachment to anything. As of such, an animal will become attached to this pleasurable stimulus if it experiences it enough times. In this sense, I think animals can in turn love inanimate objects. Like the lab rat who literally starves to death because it has access to a button that stimulates pleasure centers in its brain. It "fell in love" with the button.

The same applies to the more general term of love between two individuals, or a pet and a master. Since humans tend to be more intelligent then other animals our love is more complex, sentience likely plays a role in this department.

[Dragon_Master2557]

I used to go to a Catholic High School (transferred out earlier this year w00t!), and my Freshmen Christology teacher used to alway say that. He also went as far as to say that animals have no souls, and so killing them is okay >_>

I believe that animals are capable of love, though maybe not to the same intensity as humans.

[Reach]

Well, considering we are animals, the answer to this question is yes.

But uh, wild animals perceptions of reality would obviously differ greatly from species to species so they would not experience things the exact same..

Love is just a feeling you get when a couple emotions are working together. Since wild animals have amygdalas just like we do, and you can enduce the exact same emotions into most animals I would say they are perfectly capable of love, just on a different level specific to their perception of reality.

[archbishopjabber]

Love is simply a ****tail of potent neurotransmitters tied in to memories and experiences. Since animals are capable of all those things, then I think they are certainly capable of love. I also think anyone who has had a good dog knows that dog loves their owner, far beyond just an innate sense of loyalty.

(Cats are incapable of love though, they would kill you if it suited them :-p)

Edit: What the hell, it censored out c o c k t a i l That is a word you fascist censoring administrators! Put a wild card in before and after the four letters you are trying to censor. Jeeze.

[Engler]

Originally Posted by Reach

Well, considering we are animals, the answer to this question is yes.

But uh, wild animals perceptions of reality would obviously differ greatly from species to species so they would not experience things the exact same..

Love is just a feeling you get when a couple emotions are working together. Since wild animals have amygdalas just like we do, and you can enduce the exact same emotions into most animals I would say they are perfectly capable of love, just on a different level specific to their perception of reality.

Damn, you beat me to it, Reach. We can't say that we aren't animals, because we are. Very intelligent animals. And yes, I believe that animals are capable of love, if not a very crude form of it.

EDIT: ****tail. that made me laugh really hard.

[jamuko]

Seems like it's been summed up pretty well now. At first I was thinking it could be argued that anything we perceive as love could just be somehow related to things like pack instinct or survival, but when you think about it, the same could be said for humans. I guess it depends on where we draw the line between what we consider "the same love that humans [have]" and not.

[AuraSage]

I believe that animals love depends on their sex and their kinds. For example, female carnivores have love for their offsprings, but male carnivores eat even their own kind if they're hungry enough. I don't think some animals can ever be tame and learn love.

*im not a critical thinker kind of type.
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[Curlyguy]

I think the important question is.....Are humans capable of real love?

[devonin]

Originally Posted by Curlyguy

I think the important question is.....Are humans capable of real love?

Considering that the focus of the question seems to revolve around whether animals are capable of "love the way humans experience it" the answer is necessarily yes in context.

It is a seperate discussion entirely to try and pin down exactly what you want to define 'human love' as.