this post was submitted on 01 Jun 2026
13 points (88.2% liked)
Explain Like I'm Five
21295 readers
18 users here now
Simplifying Complexity, One Answer at a Time!
Rules
- Be respectful and inclusive.
- No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
- Engage in constructive discussions.
- Share relevant content.
- Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
- Use appropriate language and tone.
- Report violations.
- Foster a continuous learning environment.
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I do think that it is a mistake to assume that the dog is not conscious, or not conscious enough, to know what the bell means.
Like, we could say that the dog is operating purely on instinct, but that would require that we think of them as philosophical zombies completely incapable of self-awareness.
It is also possible that the dog has learned the bell sound as a "word" that means "food" and simply agrees that it would like some food soon. Not all that different from me asking a coworker if they want to get sandwiches.