Thomas Henry Huxley · 1874
On the Hypothesis that Animals are Automata, and Its History
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- English
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- archive.org
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- Ben Breen, 2026-09-29; suggested by Claude research agents, 29 Sep 2026
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- Arguments unverified; quotations chosen by machine, unchecked
Q04AUTOMATON
Does conscious intention help cause bodily action?No. conscious states do not cause bodily action. Consciousness is a collateral product of the body's working, like a steam whistle, and has no power to modify it; humans are conscious automata.
Fortnightly Review 22 (1874), 555–580; reprinted in Collected Essays vol. I, Method and Results (1893) · Web search: Bodleian Archives, PhilPapers and IEP entry on epiphenomenalism give the citation and summarize the argument. No full text opened.
Q28PERSONHOOD
Would the capacity to suffer give an artificial being a claim to humane treatment?Yes. possible suffering in a mechanism warrants humane treatment. Holds animals may be conscious automata; because they probably feel and an error could have terrible consequences, they should be treated as weaker brethren.
Collected in Method and Results (1893), Internet Archive text; closing passage read.