Degrees of Animal Sapience

This blogpost is about the levels of anthropopathy and sapience in animals. Just like anthropomorphism is the attribution of human physical form, anthropopathy is the attribution of human mind. Anthropopathy is a storytelling technique that determines how much an animal, alien, plant, robot, object, e.t.c., acts human or how human or equally it is treated.


Here are the definitions of the two words:

anthropopathy - acts like a human in Greek
anthropomorphism - shaped like a human in Greek

Note that the word "anthropopathy," is archaic. Both meanings have been folded into "anthropomorphism" for hundreds of years.


Here are the fourteen levels of animal sapience:

Level 0: Works focused more on humans, where animals appear and act just like real animals.  A few works based on this level may focus just as much on the animals as on the people or even more on the animals, but the vast majority focus more on humans. 

Level 1: Animals are sapient, but don't think or reason like humans: they're self aware, they think (to themselves), they can reason, and we see their emotions and communication, but still behave exactly like real animals do. They are viewed as normal animals by humans.

Level 2: Animals think and reason like humans: they're self aware, they think (still to themselves) and reason like humans, they do a few human things, and we see their emotions and communication, but still behave mostly like real animals do. They are still viewed as normal animals by humans.

Level 3: Animals act at least somewhat like humans but do not interact with humans, in a human way: they do at least some human things, but they are still viewed as normal animals by humans.  This is the level in between Level 2 and Level 4.

Level 3 Variant: Animals live in some kind of mouse world, but do not interact with humans, at least not in a human way. This is a variant of the level in between Level 2 and Level 5.

Level 4: Animals that are still considered animals but interact with humans in a slightly human way: The animals are not considered equals, but they interact with humans in a slightly human manner, i.e., talking to humans.

Level 5: Animals that are still considered animals but interact with humans in a somewhat to mostly human way: The animals are still not considered equals, but they interact with humans in a somewhat to mostly human manner.

Level 6: Only some animals are considered equals to humans: Can be either like Level 7, Level 8, or Level 9, except that only some (or at least not all) animals are considered equals to humans.

Level 7: Works about animals and humans as basically equal, where animals live among humans and are treated as unremarkable by humans.  The animals are still not behaviorally indistinguishable from humans and are still not treated like humans.  In other words, they either don't act like humans at all, or only seem to act like humans.  However, they are treated as equals to humans, even the animals that don't live among humans. 

Level 8: Animals act like and are treated like equals to humans, where animals live among humans and are pretty behaviorally indistinguishable from them (or at least somewhat so), as well as being treated as unremarkable by humans.  The animals are treated like equals, but are only treated somewhat like humans to not like humans at all.

Level 9: Works about animals that act and are treated like humans and are their equals, where animals live among humans and are basically behaviorally indistinguishable from them (or at least mostly so), as well as being treated as unremarkable by humans.  The animals are not only treated like equals, but also treated mostly like humans.

Level 10: Humans are represented by animals where the different animal species (even the human species) actually represent human ethnic groups, religions, cultural groups, nationalities, e.t.c.  The animals could be any level from Levels 2 to 9. 

Level 11: Works about some animals as human surrogates and some normal animals: The whole animal universe is man-made, with shops, houses, technology etc, except that some animals take the place of people and others are considered normal animals. The level the normal animals belong in can range from Level 0 to Level 3 or even Level 4 or Level 5.  In some versions, the normal animals are treated as equals to the human surrogate animals.  Sometimes, only one species of animal is a human surrogate.  There may be humans at this level, whether token or not.

Level 12: Works about nearly all animals as human surrogates: The whole animal universe is man-made, with shops, houses, technology etc, except that all the animals take the place of people. All the animals are human surrogates and considered equals to each other.  Very occasionally, only one species of animal is a human surrogate.  Like at Level 11 there may be humans at this level, whether token or not. 

Level 13: Humans are represented by human surrogate animals: Like Level 11 or Level 12, but the different animal species (even the human species) actually represent human ethnic groups, religions, cultural groups, nationalities, e.t.c..  Like level 10, but the animals that represent the humans are human surrogates (Levels 11 and 12).

Degrees of Anthropomorphism in Animaniacs and Pinky and The Brain Animal Characters

Largely Normal Animal and Nearly Normal Animal: Buttons, Chicken Boo*, Pharfignewton (the horse), Mr. Squeak (the rat), Sykes (the crow), Scout (the dog), Schnappsi (the dog), Kiki (the gorilla), the Mousealopes*, Gobbles (the turkey), The Tiger Prince*, The Tiger Prince's mom*, The Tiger Prince's dad*

Talking and Speech Impaired Animal: The Goodfeathers (Bobby, Pesto, and Squit)*, The Godpigeon, The Girlfeathers (Sasha, Kiki, and Lana), Carloota (the sparrow), Steven Seagull, Runt, Rita*, Precious*, Crackers (the parrot), Maybeloota Marabella Missy McCoy, Krup Kitty*, Birdie, Oohooroo (the dog), the Mousealopes* (arguably), Camenbert (the dog), Kitty Ducockis, Kitty Litter, Cat Bailue, Bumbi, Bumper (the rabbit), Vina Walleen (Bumbi's Mom)*, Bumpo, Stinkbomb*, The Tiger Prince*, The Tiger Prince's mom* (arguably), The Tiger Prince's dad* (arguably)

Partly Civilized Animal and Civilized Animal: The Goodfeathers (Bobby, Pesto, and Squit)*, Slappy Squirrel*, Skippy Squirrel*, Candie Chipmunk, Baynarts "Charlton" Woodchuck, Pinky*, Brain*, Snowball (the hamster)*, Billie*, Larry*, Sheila*, Romy*, Krup Kitty*, Woe Wolverine, Robin Robin, Rita*, Precious*, Doug the Dog, Newt*, Chicken Boo* , the White Rabbit (Mindy in Wonderland version)*, Vina Walleen (Bumbi's Mom)*, Stinkbomb*, The Gray Panther*, Calhoon Q. Capybara*, Who Who (the ring tailed lemur)*, Duke (the squirrel)*, The Moth

Funny Animal: Yakko Warner, Wakko Warner, Lakko Warner, Dot Warner, Sakko Warner (the Warner Sibs' cousin), William Warner (the Warner Sibs' father), Shelby Warner (the Warner Sibs' mother), Chicken Boo*, Newt*, Flavio, Marita, Baloney the Dinosaur, The Goodfeathers (Bobby, Pesto, and Squit)*, Slappy Squirrel*, Skippy Squirrel*, Walter Wolf, Sid the Squid, Beanie the Bison, Howie Tern, Fermin Flaxseed, Wilford B. Wolf (normal form), Nievel Nosenest (the rhino), the White Rabbit (Mindy in Wonderland version)*, Calhoon Q. Capybara*, Rita*, Pinky*, Brain*, Snowball (the hamster)*, Billie*, Larry*, Sheila*, Romy*, Thunderdog, Wally Llama, The Grey Panther*, Who Who (the ring tailed lemur)*, Sweet Polly Dognose*, Duke (the squirrel)*, Vina Walleen (Bumbi's Mom)*, Quacky Duck, Rena Rat, Doofy (the dog), Woodpeckerman, Mrs. Jenny

Demi-Furry (BPZP) and Furry (PZP): Minerva Mink, Wilford B. Wolf (werewolf form), Duke (the squirrel)*, Trudy's Cousin (the mink), Mousey Galore, Googily Goop, Sweet Polly Dognose*, Ms. Butley (the squirrel), Snappy Squirrel, Wally Wolf, Mrs. Munk, Rocket Rat

Demi-Furry or Semi-Humanoid Animal (62.5-77.5%)

Demi-Furries or semi-furries, the intermediate level between feral and critter and furry, are animals with a semi-anthropomorphic body.  They have the animal's head, tail (if the species or character has one), skin, fur, feather, or scale coloring and pattern, and feet.  Often, their bodies are either a furry (feathered in the case of birds and scaly in the case of reptiles) mostly to completely human-from-the-waist-up body that has mostly to completely nonhumanoid legs or mostly to completely humanoid-from-the-waist-down body (except the feet), either with or without humanoid arms.  Their feet are usually more animal-like but can be more human-like (or semi-humanoid) in basic shape and can be either digitgrade, unguligrade (standing on a hoof), or plantigrade.  Their feet and hands usually feature pawpads and/or claws of varying degrees but can feature bare palms and/or fingernails and toenails.  They sometimes to somewhat frequently have humanlike breasts. 

Version 1: Humanoid chest and shoulders, non-humanoid legs

Many semi-furries mostly to nearly always think and act like human beings, but there are many that can either be, live, and/or behave like civilized animals or like funny animals.  

Version 2: Humanoid legs, non- humanoid torso

The term demi-furry can either refer just to a semi-humanoid mammal or to any kind of semi-anthropomorphic animal.  A semi-humanoid bird is called an feathery, and a semi-humanoid reptile is called a demi-scaly.

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Examples

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Civilized Animal

Civilized animals are an intermediate level between normal animals (whether speech capable or mute) and mere intellectual animals (whether speech capable or mute) and funny animals.  They usually think and act partly like a human and partly like the species they happen to be.  They can either think and act more like a human or more like their respective species. They do some to many of the things that usually only humans do.  They occupy their species natural role in the ecosystem and may either live on the fringes of human society or not. 

Civilized animals can wear clothes, live in houses, and are often depicted walking and running on two legs, but have largely to completely non-humanoid bodies.  They can either be both two legged and four legged or almost always be bipedal.  Most civilized animals have either non-humanoid or semi-humanoid bodies, but some furries can live like civilized animals as well. 

Rabbits in waistcoats, a semi-derogatory term used to describe civilized animals, probably originated from The White Rabbit from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

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Examples

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Examples On The Verge of Being Funny Animals

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Talking Animal

Talking animals are animals that can actually talk and be understood by humans whether or not they are speech impaired.  Mere talking animals are usually completely non-anthropomorphic and largely to pretty much think and act like the actual animal species they happen to be.  Also, mere talking animals only do very few to some of the things that usually only humans do.  

Mere talking animals usually don't wear clothes and they occupy their species natural role in the ecosystem.  A lot of talking animals can walk and run on two legs.  They can either be both two legged and four legged, or almost always just be quadrupedal.  Talking animals can also be civilized animals, funny animals, semi-furries, furries, gijinka, animal attibute humans, or even intellectual animals, but they are usually basically normal animals with the ability to talk. 

A variant of talking animal features a normal animal that has been artificially granted the ability to talk through something like science or magic. 

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Mere Talking Animal Examples

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Speech Impaired Examples

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Intellectual Animal

Many intellectual animals don't usually actually talk, but the ones that do usually talk in a normal, serious voice and/or without moving their mouth.  Some intellectual animals tend to be a bit cynical about humans, and human characters may have to earn their respect.  If a human character does earn their respect, they may choose to befriend him or her.   

 
 A lot of intellectual animals can walk and run on two legs.  They can either be both two legged and four legged or almost always just be quadrupedal.  Many of them are also civilized animals, funny animals, or even semi-furries. 

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Examples

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