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"Cognition in animals History 17th century."
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Andreas Vesalius (1515-1564) on animal cognition
Until well in the 19th century, the Aristotelian concept of the
scala naturae
(ladder of nature
) was the most common biological theory among Western scientists. It dictated that only humans possessed a
rational soul
that provided the ability to reason and reflect. Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533–1592) was the first philosopher influential enough to lastingly posit that animals are cognitive creatures. His view stirred a fierce controversy, with René Descartes (1596–1650) leading among his many adversaries. Only after it became accepted that animals and humans alike have cognitive abilities, did the research on the influence of conscious awareness and intention on the behavior of an animal become possible in the 20th century. We found the anatomist Andreas Vesalius (1515–1564) to have already rejected the Aristotelian view on the lack of the
rational soul
in animals in his 1543 opus magnum
De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem
. His observation “
that there is a difference in size according to the amount of reason that they seem to possess: man's brain is the largest, followed by the ape's, the dog's, and so on, corresponding to the amount of rational force that we deduce each animal to have”
resonated some 330 years later when Darwin concluded that
“the difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind.”
We conclude that Vesalius was instrumental in breaking with two millenniums of dominance of the concept of lack of animal cognition.
Journal Article
Neuroscience: Breaking Down Scientific Barriers to the Study of Brain and Mind
In this month's essay, Eric R. Kandel and Larry R. Squire chronicle how brain research has migrated from the peripheries of biology and psychology to assume a central position within those disciplines. The multidiscipline of neuroscience that emerged from this process now ranges from genes to cognition, from molecules to minds.
Journal Article
Good gibbons and evil macaques: a historical review on cognitive features of non-human primates in Chinese traditional culture
For several thousand years the ancient Chinese have accumulated rich knowledge, in the form of written literature and folklore, on the non-human primates widely distributed in China. I have used critical text analysis and discourse analysis to clarify when and how ancient Chinese distinguished gibbons from macaques. I divided the progress into four main stages, the Pre-Shang to Shang dynasty (before 1046 BC), the Zhou to Han dynasty (1046 BC–220 AD), the six dynasties to Song dynasty (220–1279 AD), and the Yuan to Qing dynasties (1279–1840 AD). I found that China’s traditional cognition of gibbons and macaques emphasized the appearance of animals, organoleptic performance, or even whether or not their behavior was “moral”. They described them as human-like animals by ethical standards but ignored the species itself. This kind of cognitive style actually embodies the “pursuit of goodness”, which is the feature of Chinese traditional culture. This study presents some original views on Chinese traditional knowledge of non-human primates.
Journal Article
Kinds of minds
Do differences in history, culture and education influence whether scientists focus on pieces and particulars, or make broad connections?
Journal Article
The Virtues of Animals in Seventeenth-Century Thought
Harrison looks at the rational capabilities of animals and focuses on seventeenth-century discussions concerning the behaviors and passions of animals and the extent to which animals were thought to participate in the moral universe of human beings.
Journal Article
Animals, Extraterrestrial Life and Anthropocentrism in the Seventeenth Century
Wolloch discusses both the issue of early modern attitudes toward animals and the early modern debate on the possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial life. He focuses on various cases where they were discussed in the same context, or on cases when the same person expressed distinct views on both these issues. He emphasizes that the study of such cases has a profound influence on the understanding of early modern anthropocentrism.
Journal Article