Plant sentience: "feeling" or biological automatism?
Animal Sentience April 23, 2023 DOI: 10.51291/2377-7478.1796 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | The author argues that although some scientists have reported evidence of memory, behavior, communication, and intelligence in plants over the past 20 years, these claims have not convinced the entire scientific community, and the question of plant sentience remains debated. The commentary proposes that cognition and emotion are two critical aspects requiring scrutiny in this debate. |
Abstract
Sentience refers to the ability of an organism to have subjective experiences such as sensations, emotions and awareness. Whereas some animals, including humans, are widely recognized as sentient, the question of whether plants are sentient is still debated among scientists, philosophers, and ethicists. Over the past 20 years, many scientists such as Trewavas, Baluška, Mancuso, Gagliano, and Calvo have reported interesting discussions about memory, behavior, communication, and intelligence in plants. However, the reported conclusions have not convinced the entire scientific community. In this commentary, I would like to focus on two critical aspects related to sentience: cognition and emotion