--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: these points can be made clearer by…" description: "\"“these points can be made clearer by calling attention to the deontic status of institutional phenomena. Animals running in a pack can have all the con..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/john-rogers-searle-29417_animal_these-points-can-be-made-clearer-by-call_2388373.jpg" --- # these points can be made clearer by calling attention to… ![“these points can be made clearer by calling attention to the deontic status of institutional phenomena. Animals running in a pack can have all the consciousness and collective intentionality they need. They can even have hierarchies and a dominant male; they can cooperate in the hunt, share their…” quote by John Rogers Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/john-rogers-searle-29417_animal_these-points-can-be-made-clearer-by-call_2388373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/john-rogers-searle-29417_animal_these-points-can-be-made-clearer-by-call_2388373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e61/john-rogers-searle-29417_animal_these-points-can-be-made-clearer-by-call_2388373.jpg) > ““these points can be made clearer by calling attention to the deontic status of institutional phenomena. Animals running in a pack can have all the consciousness and collective intentionality they need. They can even have hierarchies and a dominant male; they can cooperate in the hunt, share their food, and even have pair bonding. But they cannot have marriages, property, or money. Why not? Because all these create institutional forms of powers, rights, obligations, duties, etc., and it is characteristic of such phenomena that they create reasons for action that are independent of what you or I or anyone else is otherwise inclined to do. Suppose I train my dog to chase dollar bills and bring them back to me in return for food. He still is not buying the food and the bills are not money to him. Why not? Because he cannot represent to himself the relevant deontic phenomena. He might be able to think “If I give him this he will give me that food.” But he cannot think, for example, now I have the right to buy things and when someone else has this, he will also have the right to buy things.”” [John Rogers Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rogers-searle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Institutional phenomena create rights and duties that non‑human animals cannot grasp because they lack deontic understanding. **In simple terms:** Animals can’t understand concepts like marriage or money. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of animal cognition. Themes ethics social theory philosophy Mood critical inquisitive Type philosophical theoretical When to use this quote - law - economics - education - animal training Key Concepts deontic logic institutional facts Questions to Reflect On - Can institutions be simplified for broader understanding? - How do cultural differences affect institutional concepts? A Different Perspective Humans also struggle with abstract institutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ## Related quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. 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It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“these points can be made clearer by calling attention to the deontic status of institutional phenomena. Animals running in a pack can have all the consciousness and collective intentionality they need. They can even have hierarchies and a dominant male; they can cooperate in the hunt, share their food, and even have pair bonding. But they cannot have marriages, property, or money. Why not? Because all these create institutional forms of powers, rights, obligations, duties, etc., and it is characteristic of such phenomena that they create reasons for action that are independent of what you or I or anyone else is otherwise inclined to do. Suppose I train my dog to chase dollar bills and bring them back to me in return for food. He still is not buying the food and the bills are not money to him. Why not? Because he cannot represent to himself the relevant deontic phenomena. 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