Animal Consciousness

Guidelines

1. Read the following selections:

a) Can Animals Empathize? Yes by Gordon Gallup Jr.

b) Can Animals Empathize? Maybe Not by Daniel J. Povinelli

click here for study questions #1

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c) Synopses of chapters from Marc Hauser's book "Wild Minds"

d) A Birdbrain Nevermore by Bernd Heinrich [Ebscohost]*

click here for study questions #2

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e) Do Animals Feel Pain by Peter Singer

f) Animal Consciousness: What Matters and Why by Daniel Dennett

click here for study questions #3

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g) Animal Minds, Animal Dreams by Matt Cartmill *

h) Standing Up For Rover by Lance Morrow [ProQuest]*

i) Another Monkey Trial by John Leo [ProQuest]*

j) Interview with Steven Wise by Erik Marcus

click here for study questions #4

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k) An Animal's Place by Michael Pollan in The New York Times Magazine November 10, 2002

click here for study questions #5

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*Note: for entries that have Proquest next to them you will be required to search for the article by entering the title in the search field

Example: type A Birdbrain Nevermore in the search field

Also note that on-campus no passwords will be required to gain access; however, off-campus access will require passwords.

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2) In at least 1500 words argue to what extent animal consciousness is like that of human consciousness. What are the limitations and and what areas do each have in common? In effect, you are arguing for how much "consciousness" on the part of animals is enough for animals to be considered conscious like humans. [Note: you may represent "animal" more specifically as any particular species from amoeba to great ape.]

3) Try to use relevant lines of reasoning and experimental results to support your position. Try to establish criteria for "consciousness" that can be examined experimentally to determine if animals possess "consciousness" like that of humans.

4) Warrant why you think the results of the experiment(s) you are using as evidence are particularly valid or warrant why the kind of argument you are making is the most appropriate to support your position.

5) In your conclusion, based on your conclusion above, what kind of, if any, moral obligations do we as humans have toward the subjectivity of animals, different or otherwise.

A link to Rainer Maria Rilke's 8th Duino Elegy (in order to gain some poetic perspective on the issue)

Other related sites are:

Animal sites:

Sites related to Animal Rights are:

Sites related to Franz de Waal, primatologist and director of the Yerkes Primate Lab:

Articles in Proquests's database

General Research sites:

Student Paper #1

Student Paper #2

Student Paper #3

Workshop Response Questions