Anthropomorphism, Anecdotes, and AnimalsRobert W. Mitchell, Nicholas S. Thompson, H. Lyn Miles People commonly think that animals are psychologically like themselves (anthropomorphism), and describe what animals do in narratives (anecdotes) that support these psychological interpretations. This is the first book to evaluate the significance and usefulness of the practices of anthropomorphism and anecdotalism for understanding animals. Diverse perspectives are presented in thoughtful, critical essays by historians, philosophers, anthropologists, psychologists, behaviorists, biologists, primatologists, and ethologists. The nature of anthropomorphism and anecdotal analysis is examined; social, cultural, and historical attitudes toward them are presented; and scientific attitudes are appraised. Authors provide fascinating in-depth descriptions and analyses of diverse species of animals, including octopi, great apes, monkeys, dogs, sea lions, and, of course, human beings. Concerns about, and proposals for, evaluations of a variety of psychological aspects of animals are discussed, including mental state attribution, intentionality, cognition, consciousness, self-consciousness, and language. |
Contents
Dogs Darwinism and English Sensibilities | 12 |
Amorphism Mechanomorphism and Anthropomorphism | 37 |
A Definition and a Theory | 50 |
Why Anthropomorphize? | 59 |
ANTHROPOMORPHISM | 75 |
Panmorphism 92 22 | 85 |
Daniel J Povinelli | 92 |
Anthropomorphism and Scientific Evidence | 104 |
SelfAwareness with Specific References | 213 |
Silent Partners? Observations on Some Systematic Relations | 220 |
A Fifth Aim for Ethology | 254 |
A Phenomenological Approach to the Study | 277 |
Anthropomorphism Anecdotes and Mirrors | 296 |
COGNITION | 311 |
Anthropomorphism Is the Null Hypothesis | 348 |
LANGUAGE | 363 |
ANECDOTES AND ANTHROPOMORPHISM | 123 |
Whats the Use of Anecdotes? | 134 |
Anthropomorphic Anecdotalism As Method | 151 |
A Pragmatic Approach to the Inference of Animal Mind | 170 |
INTENTIONALITY | 187 |
Expressions of Mind in Animal Behavior | 198 |
Other editions - View all
Anthropomorphism, Anecdotes, and Animals Robert W. Mitchell,Nicholas S. Thompson,H. Lyn Miles Limited preview - 1997 |
Anthropomorphism, Anecdotes, and Animals Robert W. Mitchell,Nicholas S. Thompson,H. Lyn Miles No preview available - 1996 |
Common terms and phrases
abilities affirming the consequent anecdotes animal behavior animal cognition animal minds animal welfare animal's anthro anthropo anthropomorphism ape language approach argued baboon Bekoff beliefs biological Burghardt Byrne & Whiten capacity Caporael Chantek characteristics chimpanzees cognitive ethology coleoid communication comparative comparative psychology complex concept consciousness culture Darwin described developmental empathy epigenetic ethologists evidence evolution evolutionary example experience explanation folk psychology Gallup gorillas Griffin human behavior human language humanlike hypotheses ideas individual inference intention interaction interpretation knowledge learning mark test meaning mental state attribution mentalistic metaphor method mirror Mitchell monkeys morphism nature nonhuman object observation orangutans pain panzees perception perspective philosophical phism pomorphism Povinelli primates primatologists problem processes psychology question rience Sabaka Schusterman scientific scientists self-recognition sense signs similar social species story study of animal subjects suggest tactical deception theory thought tion understanding University Press Waal