Sapiens Animalis. La pensée spécifie-t-elle l’humain ?

Are some cognitive functions properly humans? In this article I argue that if we combine our best theories in ethology and in neuroscience, we can see that non-human animals have mental representations, exhibit intentionality and can plan an action with intermediary steps. Besides, even though neith...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mouhamadou El Hady Ba
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Pléiade (EA 7338) 2020-12-01
Series:Itinéraires
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/itineraires/8302
Description
Summary:Are some cognitive functions properly humans? In this article I argue that if we combine our best theories in ethology and in neuroscience, we can see that non-human animals have mental representations, exhibit intentionality and can plan an action with intermediary steps. Besides, even though neither scientists nor philosophers can say they have rigorously defined consciousness, our best theories can’t rule out its presence in non-human animals. We thus conclude that the difference between human and non-human cognition is, at best, a difference of degree rather than of nature
ISSN:2427-920X