Animal Consciousness

by Daisie Radner, Michael Radner

Overview

Any intelligent debate on the ethical treatment of animals hinges on understanding their mental processes. The idea that consciousness in animals is beyond comprehension is usually traced to the 17th-century philosopher Ren? Descartes whose concept of animals as beast machines lacking consciousness influenced arguments for more than 200 years. But in reviewing Descartes' theory of mind, Daisie and Michael Radner demonstrate in Animal Consciousness that he did not hold the view so frequently attributed to him. In fact, they contend that Descartes distinguished two types of consciousness, which make it easier to discuss the conscious experiences of animals and to trace the debate into the post-Darwinian era.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781573921145
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/1996
Series:	Frontiers of Philosophy Series
Pages:	253
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1150L (what's this?)

About the Author

Daisie and Michael Radner are associate professors of philosophy at, respectively, the State University of New York at Buffalo and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Editorial Reviews

Radner (philosophy, SUNY) and Radner (philosophy, McMaster) address this issue from varying perspectives: philosophical, psychological, biological, and ethological, concluding their discussions with an exploration of the ethical implications of taking animal consciousness seriously. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews