Why the Way Sentience Works in Equestria Makes Literally No Sense

[Misty Shadow 7,867]

Something about G4's lore that is never explained and makes no sense is the way "regular animals" are different from anthropomorphic ponies.

This video does a good job illustrating the point, though one thing it doesn't touch on I have to add is how some animals of certain species are sapient while others aren't, like how the Diamond Dogs are anthropomorphic despite the fact that Applejack has a pet dog and how Capper is an anthropomorphic cat despite the fact that Rarity has a pet cat. 

[Fluttershutter 2,455]

3 hours ago, Misty Shadow said:

Something about G4's lore that is never explained and makes no sense is the way "regular animals" are different from anthropomorphic ponies.

This video does a good job illustrating the point, though one thing it doesn't touch on I have to add is how some animals of certain species are sapient while others aren't, like how the Diamond Dogs are anthropomorphic despite the fact that Applejack has a pet dog and how Capper is an anthropomorphic cat despite the fact that Rarity has a pet cat. 

The reason for that is just that they're different species. Diamond dogs are a differnt species from domestic dogs. Same as humans and monkeys but monkeys are still very intelligent comared to most animals.

[Otaku-sempai 460]

3 hours ago, Misty Shadow said:

Something about G4's lore that is never explained and makes no sense is the way "regular animals" are different from anthropomorphic ponies.

This video does a good job illustrating the point, though one thing it doesn't touch on I have to add is how some animals of certain species are sapient while others aren't, like how the Diamond Dogs are anthropomorphic despite the fact that Applejack has a pet dog and how Capper is an anthropomorphic cat despite the fact that Rarity has a pet cat. 

Well, look at us. Humans are sapient monkeys while we classify other monkeys and apes as animals. 

So, are the cows and sheep on the Apples' farm considered to be farmhands or property? If the latter then ponies are literal slave owners.  

[OverTheStars 33]

1 hour ago, Otaku-sempai said:

Well, look at us. Humans are sapient monkeys while we classify other monkeys and apes as animals. 

So, are the cows and sheep on the Apples' farm considered to be farmhands or property? If the latter then ponies are literal slave owners.  

Also yaks and cows are related, but yaks are shown to be more sentient than the cows in the show. So it does seem to be more of a species thing. 

(love the Harlock pfp btw!!)

[Otaku-sempai 460]

1 hour ago, OverTheStars said:

Also yaks and cows are related, but yaks are shown to be more sentient than the cows in the show. So it does seem to be more of a species thing. 

(love the Harlock pfp btw!!)

I wouldn't say that the Yaks are more sentient than the cows (both species can speak) but the Yaks do have their own civilization and culture.

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

Does the video explore the possibility that different kinds of sentience can exist?

[Otaku-sempai 460]

1 hour ago, Metemponychosis said:

Does the video explore the possibility that different kinds of sentience can exist?

Well, a lot of folks don't  understand well the difference between sentience and sapience. Sentience is simply the ability to feel, to perceive. All animals have some degree of sentience. Sapience means having wisdom, understanding, the ability to think and  understand complex concepts. If you can have a meaningful conversation with something, it is probably sapient. 

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

48 minutes ago, Otaku-sempai said:

Well, a lot of folks don't  understand well the difference between sentience and sapience. Sentience is simply the ability to feel, to perceive. All animals have some degree of sentience. Sapience means having wisdom, understanding, the ability to think and  understand complex concepts. If you can have a meaningful conversation with something, it is probably sapient. 

Give me a couple of hours and I'll watch the video when I get home so we're on the same page. Then I'll get back to you.

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

The video claims that Fluttershy can communicate with animals because she is "special," but this is incorrect. Communication implies that the animals understand what she is saying, but the video missed something important. In the real world, animals understand tone and body language—how they naturally communicate with one another (along with scent). The video seems disingenuous by not acknowledging that the animals in MLP perfectly understand Fluttershy in much the same way we, the audience, do. These animals can even make gestures, so they're not like real-world animals. This is what the video refers to as "level one intelligence."

And before I go on, I hate equating communication with intelligence, or sapience. But...

Anwyay, the video's overall point—that the MLP scale of communication with animals doesn't match real-world behavior—is not necessarily flawed. It just operates within the logic of the show's universe, as it should.

At level two, the video focuses on animals that don't communicate verbally but can perform complex tasks, like setting tables or the actions performed by Iron Will's goats. The video incorrectly claims that these animals don't speak, but it ignores the possibility that they might have their own language. Iron Will understands his goats.

At level three, the video places animals that are vocal, such as cows and sheep, but notes that they are subjugated by the ponies.

Level four includes ponies and others that act similarly to ponies for communication purposes (griffons, zebra...).

The video tries to wrap things up by comparing the characters' eyes, but this point falls apart because MLP is consistent in that regard.

Here’s my take: Cows are as intelligent as ponies at level four, but they lack the insight or drive to organize a civilization like the ponies. This might be similar to how dragons in the show are content with their way of life, or how the Diamond Dogs have their own civilization. The animals that ponies shelter likely don't mind their treatment and are content with living in the pens and shelters the ponies provide. In fact, I'd say this applies to every animal in the show, because even the "level one" animals don't act like real-world animals. Perhaps there's a scale of intelligence that isn't immediately apparent. At least, that is what I did in my fanfictions. Ponies are the caretakers of nature. That is not our world, and judging their layers of coexistence is unfair. I can guarantee Mooriela is happier with the Apples than some people and their freedom in our world.

Capper (woe upon him, his ancestors and descendants) does not exist. I refuse to accept him.