van Melsen A G
Tijdschr Diergeneeskd. 1986 Sep 15;111(18):864-9.
Taught by the history of biology, ethologists try to adhere as rigidly as possible to the method used in natural science. They therefore are hesitant in using concepts which are ultimately derived from the human world of inner experience. In order to examine this question, the present paper first deals with the strength and the weakness of the natural scientific method, which is followed by a discussion of the manner in which this makes itself felt in biology. Although the method used in natural science is fully applicable in biology, particular phenomena (such as pain) will not be considered because of the character of this method. However, this does not detract from the reality of these phenomena and in that sense does not make them any less objective. If ethology wishes to do justice to animals, it is not be able to avoid including phenomena such as consciousness, pain, etc., in its investigations, even though the problem of extrapolating human self-experience to animals will continue to exist.
受生物学历史的影响，动物行为学家试图尽可能严格地坚持自然科学中使用的方法。因此，他们在使用最终源自人类内心体验世界的概念时会犹豫不决。为了探讨这个问题，本文首先论述自然科学方法的优点和缺点，随后讨论其在生物学中的体现方式。尽管自然科学中使用的方法完全适用于生物学，但由于该方法的特性，某些特殊现象（如疼痛）将不会被考虑。然而，这并不减损这些现象的真实性，从这个意义上说，也不会使它们的客观性降低。如果动物行为学想要公正地对待动物，即使将人类自身经验外推到动物身上的问题依然存在，它也无法避免在研究中纳入诸如意识、疼痛等现象。
