Do Animals Reason? by James White

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Apr 15, 1875

Do Animals Reason?

By James White

O. W. Fiske, in "Our Dumb Animals," says:—

"For many years I have made the horse a subject of thought and study. At times I have been made to believe that horses have reasoning powers, and can understand and apply them in various ways. For the last two years I have driven my mare nearly every day over the same road. About a mile from my house are two roads, one leading to the church, the other leading to the depot. Now, six days in the week I drive to the cars, and on Sunday to the church. At the point where these roads separate I give my mare her head, leaving her free to make her choice, and on week days she will go straight to the depot, and on Sundays she goes of her own free will to the church; I never knew her to fail me yet. It puzzled me for a long time to learn how she should know any difference of days, and I have come to the conclusion that she reasons from facts—facts connected with every-day life. On week days I start from my stable in a two-wheeled carriage; on Sundays I start my horse in a carryall, thus making an entire change both in time, place, and carriage; and from these facts she must be guided in her choice of roads. Many think this is instinct; if so, where does reason begin."

The knowledge of days seems to be one of the severest tests of reasoning powers in dumb animals, and yet this is frequently manifested. Years ago the "dog churn" was often to be seen at farm houses where numbers of cows were kept, and it was customary with some to have regular churning days. I was acquainted at a place where it was found necessary to make frequent changes in the order, for otherwise, if a certain order was for some time observed, the dog could not be found on the morning of churning day! he did not like the occupation.

I have often thought that many parents took less pains to teach their children to "remember the Sabbath day," than this man took to teach his dog, for in many religious families the children seem hardly to recognize the difference of days; they do not seem to well understand when the Sabbath comes. We attribute this to the lack of interest on the part of parents in the training of the children; for if they did their duty with such results, we should be compelled to consider the dog more intelligent than the children.

J. H. W.