(10-14-2018, 05:45 PM)SYZ Wrote:Dom Wrote:When do you think the instinct for survival kicks in? It seems that in the womb there is no use for it, but after being born there is. Do we know when instincts develop?
It seems relevant to the abortion discussion. If there is no instinct for survival, death is essentially irrelevant.
I've read research papers that suggest awareness of "self" doesn't develop until between the ages
of 18 months and two years—when infants learn that their image in a mirror is not only distinct
from the rest of the environment, not only distinct from the in-mirror environment, but also a
representation of themselves (Stage #3, "self-identification").
—Joshua A. Krisch, 'Fatherly', Aug 2017
Well, survival instinct in an infant is to cry out as loud as possible to call for parental help as needed. Also, all kinds of life has a survival instinct. All life tries to protect itself. So, I don't think self awareness is necessary for that... or we have to attribute self awareness to plants and all living things.