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Animal Minds: Beyond Cognition to Consciousness
by Donald R. Griffin
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About This Book
ISBN13: 9780226308654 |
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
In "Animal Minds," Donald R. Griffin takes us on a guided tour of the recent explosion of scientific research on animal mentality. Are animals consciously aware of anything, or are they merely living machines, incapable of conscious thoughts or emotional feelings? How can we tell? Such questions have long fascinated Griffin, who has been a pioneer at the forefront of research in animal cognition for decades, and is recognized as one of the leading behavioral ecologists of the twentieth century. <BR>With this new edition of his classic book, which he has completely revised and updated, Griffin moves beyond considerations of animal cognition to argue that scientists can and should investigate questions of animal consciousness. Using examples from studies of species ranging from chimpanzees and dolphins to birds and honeybees, he demonstrates how communication among animals can serve as a "window" into what animals think and feel, just as human speech and nonverbal communication tell us most of what we know about the thoughts and feelings of other people. Even when they don't communicate about it, animals respond with sometimes surprising versatility to new situations for which neither their genes nor their previous experiences have prepared them, and Griffin discusses what these behaviors can tell us about animal minds. He also reviews the latest research in cognitive neuroscience, which has revealed startling similarities in the neural mechanisms underlying brain functioning in both humans and other animals. Finally, in four chapters greatly expanded for this edition, Griffin considers the latest scientific research on animal consciousness, pro and con, and explores its profoundphilosophical and ethical implications.<BR>
Book News Annotation:
In this updated edition, a pioneering cognitive ethologist (Museum of
Comparative Zoology, Harvard U.) draws on recent research on animal
communication as windows into the mentality of various species, and
considers the philosophical-ethical implications of animal
consciousness. Includes a whale of a bibliography.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Synopsis:
Are animals consciously aware of anything, or are they merely living machines incapable of conscious thoughts or emotions? How can we tell? In this volume Griffin demonstrates how communication between animals can serve as a "window" into what animals think and feel.
Synopsis:
Preface1. In Favor of Animal Consciousness2. Objections and Their Limitations3. Finding Food4. Predation5. Construction of Artifacts6. Tools and Special Devices7. Categories and Concepts8. Physiological Indices of Thinking9. Communication as Evidence of Thinking10. Symbolic Communication11. Deception and Manipulation12. Dolphins and Apes13. The Philosophical and Ethical Significance of Animal Consciousness14. The Scientific Significance of Animal ConsciousnessBibliographyIndex
About the Author
Donald R. Griffin has been a professor at Cornell, Harvard, and Rockefeller Universities and is now an associate of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. His many books include The Question of Animal Awareness, Animal Thinking, Listening in the Dark, Echoes of Bats and Men, Animal Structure and Function, and Bird Migration.
Table of Contents
Preface
1. In Favor of Animal Consciousness
2. Objections and Their Limitations
3. Finding Food
4. Predation
5. Construction of Artifacts
6. Tools and Special Devices
7. Categories and Concepts
8. Physiological Indices of Thinking
9. Communication as Evidence of Thinking
10. Symbolic Communication
11. Deception and Manipulation
12. Dolphins and Apes
13. The Philosophical and Ethical Significance of Animal Consciousness
14. The Scientific Significance of Animal Consciousness
Bibliography
Index
What Our Readers Are Saying
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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
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Jeane, May 9, 2008 (view all comments by Jeane)
This book is so particular in arguing its point that it gets rather difficult to read. It was written to refute the long-held notions that animals act solely on instinct, just responding to stimuli and not thinking for themselves. The author presents a multitude of examples from recent scientific studies into animal mentality, describing the research in detail. He shows examples of animals displaying a wide array of behaviors that suggest thinking ability: making tools, solving problems, making and executing plans, practicing deception, responding to new situations in novel ways, showing evidence of having complex memories, a sense of time and awareness of future. He demonstrates that animals may have a sense of self and can perceive the mental state of others. I can't deny that it is well-researched; the number of references listed in the back is really staggering. If you enjoy reading scientific works, this may be just the book for you.
Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9780226308654
- Subtitle:
- Beyond Cognition to Consciousness
- Author:
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- Subject:
- Zoology
- Subject:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Subject:
- Animal behavior
- Subject:
- Animal psychology
- Subject:
- Life Sciences - Zoology - General
- Publication Date:
- May 2001
- Binding:
- Hardcover
- Language:
- English
- Pages:
- 376
- Dimensions:
- 9.36x6.36x1.20 in. 1.58 lbs.
