Who is Conscious? : A Guide to the Minds of Animals

Abstract

Consciousness is the most fascinating—but tantalizingly difficult—topic in the whole of biology. Although many people now believe that mammals, birds, and possibly all vertebrates are conscious, there are also claims that many other animals such as crabs and insects may be conscious too. Such claims, if true, would have major implications on what we eat, how we control pests, and for our whole relationship with the animal world. More than ever, it is important to question the evidence and to ask what we really know about animal consciousness. Who is Conscious? is an adventure into animal minds. It is also a guide as to how we can possibly know about the conscious experiences of animals that have no words to tell us what they might be thinking or feeling. It proposes some simple questions that we can all ask to help us decide which evidence to believe. It looks at recent highly suggestive evidence for consciousness in various animal species and asks how well it stands up to being challenged. It describes research on human consciousness—which has the advantage of being able to ask people what they feel—and asks whether the similarities are great enough that we should conclude that non-humans are conscious too. The book is for anybody with an interest in animals and who has ever wondered what might be going on in their minds.