Agony Quote by Charles Darwin
“The love of a dog for his master is notorious; in the agony of death he has been known to caress his master, and everyone has heard of the dog suffering under vivisection, who licked the hand of the operator; this man, unless he had a heart of stone, must have felt remorse to the last hour of his life.”
About This Quote
Source Letter to a colleague, 1865
Even a loyal dog may show remorse, suggesting animals possess complex emotions like guilt.
In simple terms: Dogs may feel guilt.
Key Takeaway
Consider animal emotional lives seriously.
Themes
animal cognition
emotion
ethics
Mood
thoughtful
concerned
Type
ethical
scientific
When to use this quote
- animal welfare policy
- research on animal emotions
- ethical treatment of lab animals
Key Concepts
empathy in animals
moral consideration
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence would convince you of animal guilt?
- How should this affect our treatment of animals?
A Different Perspective
Interpreting animal behavior risks anthropomorphism.
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![“I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/958/charles-darwin-507_bounds_i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculation_35382.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
