[SydPhil] MQ Philosophy Work in Progress Seminar 21st of April Kate Lynch (University of Melbourne)

[Emily Hughes]

Dear all,

You are warmly invited to the next MQ Philosophy Work in Progress (WIP)
seminar which will be given by *Kate Lynch (University of Melbourne)*

The details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday 21st of April
Time:   13:00-14:00
Room: 17WW 113

*Title: Sentience and Flexible Behaviour*

*Abstract:* One way to make inferences about animal sentience is through
behaviour. Pain is a key focus of this research, where attempts are made to
distinguish conscious pain-related behaviours from unconscious automatic
ones.  Seemingly unconscious behaviours described as ‘merely nociceptive’
are typically characterised as reflexive, whereas those taken to indicate a
subjective experience of pain are cast as ‘flexible’. But to date, no
satisfactory account has been given of what qualifies as sufficient
behavioural flexibility to indicate sentience, or even what behavioural
flexibility precisely entails. In this talk I (we) suggest that measurable
behavioural flexibility is not a single capacity, but a multi-dimensional
construct. Different behavioural assays tend to track different dimensions
of behavioural flexibility. By integrating these, behavioural flexibility
profiles can be developed across taxa, revealing a more nuanced approach to
investigating sentience through a behavioural lens.


Further information about the seminar series including the zoom link and
details on future talks can be found at the seminar webpage:
https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/OEaCCJyBrGf1y97vxcVfyTy5sKx?domain=mqphilosophy.github.io

We look forward to seeing you there.




*Dr Emily Hughes *(she/her)

ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellow in Philosophy

School of Humanities, Faculty of Arts

Michael Kirby Building, 17 Wally's Walk

Level 2, Room 233

Macquarie University – Wallumattagal Campus, Dharug Country

NSW 2109 Australia

E: emily.hughes at mq.edu.au

W: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/9uAFCK1DvKTB97jNLsvhLT5juUf?domain=researchers.mq.edu.au



*I acknowledge that Macquarie University stands on the land of the Dharug
Nation, land that was never ceded. I pay my respects to the Dharug
people, the Wallumattagal clan, and their Elders past and present. Always
was, always will be, Aboriginal land.*