Elephants are very intelligent so are Chimps and other apes. Dolphins and dogs too. They are capable of emotion and may one day be capable of expanding their awareness to philosophical ideas. We may soon know what dolphins think because they are close to cracking thier language. Some animals even mate for life. I am not dissing animals here. I think they have emotions and feel loss. It's a matter of degree. We are higher on the scale than they are and able to postulate higher order concepts.
In a nutshell it comes down to imagination from which comes the ability to empathize. The ability to imagine yourself in the place of another brings a broader understanding of the universe than merely thinking of the survival of self. Some animals are more aware than others but they haven't had the need or ability to develop the tools we had to in order to survive. Humans are weak alone so we formed groups for protection. We learned to hunt together and banded together to protect our young. We developed speech to pass on valuable information and to better defend ourselves against encroaching dangers. The structure of these groups has been evolving too as the dangers we face change.
Animals live under the law of the jungle where the strong rule the weak. Humans have come to recognize that physical strength is not necessarily the best criteria for a ruler. Our survival has been a result of planning and communication. The ability to solve problems through imagination, cooperation and ingenuity. This sets aside from animals.
We still have the need to survive and have a fear of our own mortality. Our imagination gives us an option for eternal life and this mitigates this fear of dying. That option is religion. Religion also offers a tool for control through the elimination of that eternal life, i.e. If people don't act right they will be denied eternal life. The separation of government from the use of fear and intimidation should be the next evolution. Religion and it's use as a control mechanism is ultimately rooted in fear and so I reject it as a means to fairly govern. I do respect your right to believe in what you want. I just deny you the right to impose it on me.
Elephants are very intelligent so are Chimps and other apes. Dolphins and dogs too. They are capable of emotion and may one day be capable of expanding their awareness to philosophical ideas.
If they are so intelligent why aren't they capable of of expanding philosophical ideas now? Do not confuse survival instincts with higher forms of intelligence.