Is a Cow aware they are a Cow?

Question

Would your conclusion hold if people were like cows?

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To those that seem to think this is a question about Bestiality – did you read the answers before your answer?

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Answer 1

Cows do not know they are a cow and people are more like sheep.

Answer 2

I am pretty sure that cows are not aware of anything. Of course it may LOOK like cows are aware that they are cows. For example -- you do not see a cow trying to mate with a horse, so they are able to differentiate between species and choose only males of their species for mating.
However, this hardly implies awareness. For example I can write a computer program that will be able to differentiate between cows and horses (quite hard but achievable) this will not imply that a computer is aware of anything.
Thus cows in my opinion are not aware of anything, in particular they are not aware of being cows, they just have good instincts.

Answer 3

If a cow is aware of anything, it is aware that it is a cow. I think it does hold true.

Answer 4

I don't think a cow knows that they are in fact a "cow." But they do have instinct attributed to them that makes them out to be what they are. A cow doesn't have the mental capacity to know what they are - so I say we eat them.

Answer 5

I moo, therefore I am...

I think animals are aware of what they are (at least to the extent that they can recognize their own kind as distinct from other species.) They would recognize humans apart from other animals (oh yes, these are the creatures that feed me, milk me, kill me...) They do what cows do & don't deviate from it. They don't suddenly eat meat unless some idiotic human feeds it to them & upsets the balance of nature...Of course cow is just a term that we use for them, who knows how they think of themselves? Or maybe they don't think, they just are. Hopefully they don't think too much or it would be an unbearable existence...stand around eating grass knowing you're going to be someone's dinner...it's enough to drive them MAD!

Answer 6

I do not comprehend how an animal would be "aware" as we are.
A cow would have to understand the language, to know it was a "cow".
I am sure animals are aware they exist, I just question if they can reason their existence.
My vote would be NO.

Answer 7

Do you see cows trying to mate with humans, or horses, or lions?
They will however with another breed of cow....

Not everything is as aware as we, as humans, are aware. We have a different sort of awareness.
Animals function by instinct, humans have the ability to understand the difference between right and wrong, its one of the things that makes us so unique among all living things. Our ability to reason is unique. Everything that makes us human, and everything that makes us more advanced lies in our brain. You can see it in motor functions, in our complexity of communication, our ability to reason - everything we do.
Animals hold together instinctively, and yes, it does have to do with what they see. That starts with birth and imprinting. Their understanding of what another creature is ...is limited, although extensive research is always being done to see just what their language encompases.

Answer 8

most likely not, a cow does not have self-awareness. Otherwise, they would be far more advanced and more capable of doing other things

Answer 9

More importantly... Is a cow aware that you are aware that she is a cow?

Answer 10

I'd say yes...I think any animal that plays, is social, or develops feelings for other beings, has a much higher awareness than scientists give them credit for. (is a two year old human aware that they are a part of homo sapiens? Sure.)