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    A creature can be responsive to reasons and act according... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→Only human agents have the relevant mental attitudes required for intentional action

    A creature can be responsive to reasons and act accordingly even if it lacks the capacity to articulate those reasons in propositional language.

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    1 reason for
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    Reasons For

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    • 1.Animals exhibit goal-directed behavior adjusted to environmental feedback without linguistic capacity, indicating reason-responsiveness.
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    • 2.Propositional articulation is a distinct cognitive skill from grasping reasons; one can understand without expressing linguistically.
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    • 3.Human infants demonstrate practical reasoning before language acquisition, suggesting responsiveness to reasons precedes linguistic ability.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
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    • 1.Responsiveness to reasons requires conceptual content; non-linguistic creatures lack structured concepts needed for genuine reason-relations.
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    • 2.Distinguishing mere stimulus-response from reason-responsiveness requires observable articulation; otherwise ascription becomes unfalsifiable.
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    • 3.Practical competence and reason-responsiveness are distinct; a dog catching a frisbee responds to conditions, not to reasons qua reasons.
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    Connections

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    Consciousness & Mind1 linkedMoral Responsibility1 linked

    Related

    Animals exhibit goal-directed behavior adjusted to environmental feedback withou...Distinguishing mere stimulus-response from reason-responsiveness requires observ...Human infants demonstrate practical reasoning before language acquisition, sugge...Only human agents have the relevant mental attitudes required for intentional ac...
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    Practical competence and reason-responsiveness are distinct; a dog catching a fr...Propositional articulation is a distinct cognitive skill from grasping reasons; ...Responsiveness to reasons requires conceptual content; non-linguistic creatures ...

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    claim
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    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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