Good point. Percy said language was necessary for consciousness. Thats something Ive been trying to decipher. What exactly is he meaning by consciousness? Are my cats not conscious? They definitely feel. Are they only conscious to the point of survival impulses, instinct, and the emotions related to the two? I think if we interpret Percys claim, it has got to mean that you cant know something beyond survival impulses unless you have language. You cant be aware of the inevitable arrival of death, and so cant experience the denial of death and the anxiety of death and the need for a causa sui (cf. Ernest Becker) or other human emotions, such as guilt and regret and redemption. (Im quite certain my cats dont feel guilt.) Is that what he means by consciousness?
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