The Love And Hatred Of Animals

Love and hatred are common to the whole sensitive creation.

Their causes have such a simple nature that they can easily be supposed to operate on animals.

There is no force of reflection or penetration required.

Everything is conducted by springs and principles, which are not peculiar to man or any one species of animals.

The conclusion from this is obvious in favour of the foregoing system.

Love in animals comprehends almost every sensible and thinking being.

A dog naturally:

• loves a man above his own species
• very commonly meets with a return of affection.

Animals are little susceptible of the imagination’s pleasures or pains, they can judge objects only by the sensible good or evil the objects produce. ◦ From that, animals must regulate their affections towards them. • By benefits or injuries we produce their love or hatred. • By feeding and cherishing any animal, we quickly acquire his affections. • By beating and abusing him, we always draw his enmity and ill-will.

Love in beasts is not caused so much by relation, as in our species. ◦ Because their thoughts are not so active as to trace relations, except in very obvious instances.

Yet sometimes, love has a considerable influence on them.

Acquaintance has the same effect as relation. ◦ Thus, it always produces love in animals to men or to other animals. ◦ For the same reason, any likeness among them is the source of affection. ▪ An ox, confined to a park with horses, will naturally join their company. ▪ But he will always enjoy the company of his own species if he has the choice of both.

• The affection of parents to their young proceeds from a peculiar instinct in animals, as well as in our species.

Sympathy, or the communication of passions, takes place among animals, no less than among men.

Fear, anger, courage, and other affections are frequently communicated from one animal to another, without them knowing the cause which produced the original passion. • Grief likewise: ◦ is received by sympathy ◦ produces almost all the same consequences ◦ excites the same emotions as in our species.

A dog’s howlings and lamentations produce a sensible concern in his fellows.

Almost all animals use the same body parts in playing and in fighting: ◦ lions, tigers, and cats use their paws ◦ oxen use their horns ◦ dogs use their teeth ◦ horses use their heels • It is remarkable that they most carefully avoid harming their companion, even though they have nothing to fear from his resentment. ◦ This is an evident proof of the sense which animals have of each other’s pain and pleasure.

Everyone has observed how much more dogs are animated when they hunt in a pack, than when they pursue their game apart. ◦ This can proceed from nothing but sympathy.

When two packs, that are strangers to each other, are joined, hunters know that dogs become more animated, sometimes even too animated. . ◦ We might be unable to explain this phenomenon, if we did not have a similar experience in ourselves.

Envy and malice are passions very remarkable in animals.

◦ They are perhaps more common than pity, as requiring less effort of thought and imagination.