> it is difficult to imagine that even a simple dream is possible without something like an ego or an “I” experiencing it, he adds. So if spiders dream, “it might mean that we start talking about spiders having something like a minimal self”
Why would having a self not be a binary feature? If the theory is that a human's self is less minimal because the human understands itself more richly, that seems like two features are being conflated.
Why would it be binary? Few natural things are. E.g., living/non-living is an obvious binary that turns out to not be so clear once you look at the details. E.g., whether viruses are alive. Ditto all of the theories about life's origins: https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-biochemists-view-of-lifes-o...
Why would having a self not be a binary feature? If the theory is that a human's self is less minimal because the human understands itself more richly, that seems like two features are being conflated.