tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Apr 29 16:08:01 1998

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Re: Correct me if I'm wrong but..

In a message dated 98-04-28 13:52:51 EDT, charghwI' writes:

<< Sentience is not the issue. The ability
 to use langauge. So, instead of wrestling with an arbitrary,
 vague line between beings that are sentient and those that are
 not, we are left to deal with the arbitrary, vague line between
 beings that are capable of using langauge and those that are
 not. >>

charghwI' is outright wrong on this point.

Sentiency absolutely is the demarcation; the ability to speak language is not.
Computers, machinery and robots which speak language are neither sentient nor
take the Klingon language type 2 noun suffix {-pu'}.  The android Data is
sentient.  A parrot is not sentient.  A dolphin, whale, cat, etc. are ???????

peHruS

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