If you're asking if I think the dog is consciously lying, then no, because that presupposes consciousness (that is, that the dog is a person). Do I believe that the dog is engaging in the same behavior that in a person we would call "lying"? Yup. Intent only matters if there's someone to do the intending. Deception, however, is an activity that needs no intention -- it evolved before consciousness.
If it doesn't require intent, would you consider Batesian mimicry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batesian_mimicry ) "lying"? Or does it have to be in the form of behaviour to be a lie?
(I'm not trying to argue a point here, just being curious. I'm not sure how I'd answer these myself, but I find this interesting to think about. Thanks for making me think :) )
Comments
If you're asking if I think the dog is consciously lying, then no, because that presupposes consciousness (that is, that the dog is a person). Do I believe that the dog is engaging in the same behavior that in a person we would call "lying"? Yup. Intent only matters if there's someone to do the intending. Deception, however, is an activity that needs no intention -- it evolved before consciousness.
If it doesn't require intent, would you consider Batesian mimicry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batesian_mimicry ) "lying"? Or does it have to be in the form of behaviour to be a lie?
(I'm not trying to argue a point here, just being curious. I'm not sure how I'd answer these myself, but I find this interesting to think about. Thanks for making me think :) )
I dunno. I'm not sure there's a bright line between Batesian mimicry and behavioral lying, but I haven't thought about it much.