Two questions for you

[heliona]

Okay, here are two philospohical questions for you lot to debate:

1 - Are LOLcatz sentient?

2 - Do drums have legs?

If you are wondering where on Earth these came from, they are a product of the Glasgow Moot.

I await your answers!! :)

Comments

[nimoloth.livejournal.com]

1. No
2. Yes

[heliona.livejournal.com]

Interesting.

So, what's your reasoning behind them? (I actually have no knowledge either about the drum question, and I'm keeping quiet about the LOLcats one at the moment. *g*)

[nimoloth.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I was being whimsical! One word answers seemed funnier!

1. Cats are not sentient. Pictures are not sentient. Therefore lolcatz are not sentient either. (For the definition of "sentient" as "conscious and cable of forming thoughts and speech".)

2. Most drums have legs. How would they sit on the floor otherwise? For example, bass drums have four little legs sticking out the sides to stabilise them. Floor toms have three long legs to stand up on. See all the little legs sticking out!

[heliona.livejournal.com]

See, as far I'm concerned,c ast are sentient, in that they can form thoughts (presumably!) and they are definitely concious. Also, another definition of sentience is capable of suffering and feeling pain (it comes from trying to implement cruelty to animals and slaves laws, I believe) - so computers are not sentient, but any animal is.

However, I believe that a LOLcat refers to the photo, which is just a photo, and is therefore not sentient.

The drum question I tend to go towards the yes, they have answer. But someone said that as most of the legs are detachable, then they're not classed as legs (I think that was her argument - I kind of zoned out after a while!)

[nimoloth.livejournal.com]

The first is the more about the meaning of sentient and the nature of animals.

The legs on drums are indeed removable, but they are called legs. That's a strange debate!

[heliona.livejournal.com]

Oh, apparently that's what happens when you go to moots! *g*

The LOLcats question came up because it was the answer to a 20 Questions, which we didn't get and have since been debating, because our team didn't think that they were sentient. But it really hinged on the defition of LOLcat - whether it was the cat or the photo - because I think we were all agreed that cats are sentient. I find it interesting what your definition of 'sentient' is (although when I was looking it up, there are about five, so any one is right, I suppose! *g*)

The drum thing I have no real opinion on - I was a bemused watcher to that debate!!

[truehobbit.livejournal.com]

I can't make up my mind about the lolcats, but I'm wondering how the drums with legs thing started (must have been one of the questions I didn't catch).

[heliona.livejournal.com]

Well, about the LOLcats, it completely depends whether you're referring to the actual cats or just the photographs. Personally, I err on the 'no' side of the argument, because I think that LOLcats refers to the photo as opposed to the actual animal.

As to the drum leg issue, Hobbituk and jewelsong got into a rather rowdy debate about whether they had legs or not. It stemmed from our Special question about passing the pub with legs, and then up came The Drum and Monkey and how many points we would have got. It was on Sunday morning, so yes, after you'd gone. :)