The Animal Mind: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Animal Cognition

"Kristin Andrews is a philosopher of mind who specialises in animals. In this book, she talks about certain concepts that we have used to police the boundary between us and other animals. And she uses developments in the fields of animal behaviour and cognition and the philosophy of mind to show that these concepts should be opened up to other species. Her book is written like a philosophy textbook, as the subtitle indicates. So it’s a good resource for those who already have some basic knowledge about the philosophy of mind , but who haven’t thought very much about how the problems that galvanise this field shift when considered in relation to animals. “How do we humans think about the minds of nonhumans?” The book begins with a helpful historical overview of the problem of other minds. How do we humans think about the minds of nonhumans? After canvassing some of the answers that people have given to that question over the last couple of centuries, she discusses four main concepts that need to be re-thought in light of what we now know about animals: consciousness, thought, communication, and intentionality. What do we mean by consciousness and which animals have it? How do animals communicate, and is communication essentially different from language? What is the nature of thought, and do animals create internal representations of the external world (i.e. thoughts)? And finally, do animals understand the intentions of others, or even that others have intentions of their own? The book gives readers a solid overview of ongoing debates in the philosophy of animal cognition that push at the boundaries that we have built to separate ourselves from our nonhuman cousins."