Elephant Paints another Elephant

[The Jay]

foahTqz7On4

This elephant wrote its own name. It is amazing how intelligent they are. I am very impressed.

[The Jay]

After doing more research it appears that the elephants are abused and trained to follow orders given through ear pinches to paint these things.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

After doing more research it appears that the elephants are abused and trained to follow orders given through ear pinches to paint these things.

It points to something interesting about hegemonic notions of "intelligence". We see "animals" and say, "Dumb brutes!" - but if we can abuse them into behaving in a "human" manner, suddenly their "intelligence" is apparent.

Of course, this approach is reflects existing social systems, wherein people too are graded according to their relative submission to certain violent impositions.

*shrug*

[The Jay]

I agree with that. I am still amazed by the elephant's precision and your point on the submissiveness of humans is a great crossover. I was thinking the same thing really. What does everyone think this means for intelligence in general?

[Comrade Jacob]

Hmmmm...they may be just trained to do all of this, but a Jay said it's still amazing the elephants precision.

[ckaihatsu]

I agree with that. I am still amazed by the elephant's precision and your point on the submissiveness of humans is a great crossover. I was thinking the same thing really. What does everyone think this means for intelligence in general?


Obviously that 'intelligence' is a social construct and is subject to the context of the present hegemonic social paradigm.

(Consider that many right-wingers equate making lots of money on the markets as 'intelligent', with those who don't being not.)


Also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences

[Celtanarchy]

I read somewhere that for the elephants to be able to paint this precisely it's taken years of abuse, and they have more than likely be drawing the same picture everyday for years, which sucks. It would be a miserable existence for the elephant.

[Rss]

It's a small wonder that elephants in India sometimes raid breweries, get really drunk and rampage across town.

[erupt]

Work animals are almost always higher in intelligence than non-work animals. This, most likely, is because they have to think about solving problems and doing tasks that wild animals do not. When there's an animal that's already smart like an elephant, and it grows up in laborious captivity, it's brain probably develops more than an elephant in a zoo.

Anyone who doesn't think animals such as elephants, horses, water buffalo, etc. do not resent humans exploiting their labor are sadly mistaken. A horse will kick you square in the face which would probably snap some cervical bones from the whiplash; people know this, so humans do not stand directly behind horses. Elephants have a method of killing humans where they simply let the weight of their head crush the person.

On a more pleasant note, I've heard stories of Australian Aboriginies fishing with dolphins and splitting the bounty right down the middle; both sides made off with a much larger amount of fish, too.