Anthropomorphism, or attributing human qualities to animals, has been looked down upon for many years. But with new research into the abilities of animals to think, and reason, and solve problems, it may not be as baseless as we think.
Patricia McConnell is a certified applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer, as well as the author of several books. She is fascinated by how, and to what extent, animals think. What does "cognition" mean, exactly? At its most understandable, she says, “cognition is another way of describing the mental life of a creature. One way to look at it is to divide it into a couple of categories that make it easier for us to talk about.” Part of the internal life of an animal is emotion, so that is one category. Another part is being conscious of the self in relation to the surrounding environment. And then there is reasoning, strategizing, making choices, and thinking ahead in time. All of them come together to form cognitive ability.
Is there value in comparing our inner mental life with that of animals? McConnell thinks we should definitely make those comparisons, and for a variety of reasons. Some are pretty philosophical, she says, and they aren’t just about the animals. The comparison can help us think about questions, like “’Who are [humans] as a species, and how do we fit into the rest of the world?’ ... That’s a really important topic.” That might seem like a big, theoretical and abstract question, but McConnell says that research shows that the more connected we feel to a bigger whole, the happier and healthier we are. That brings a seemingly absract endeavor back to a very concrete, real-life one.
Besides how we feel about ourselves, understanding more about how animals think and feel can add greatly to our relationships to our pets, and other animals around us. That level of understanding can also inform our individual and societal positions on a variety of ethical issues, too.
Just because there is a lot to gain in being aware of and appreciating animal cognition doesn’t mean that it’s a comfortable thought for all humans. McConnell says “I think some people are really uncomfortable with it, and I think it’s partly the reason for a lot of the resistance that people have had about trying to understand the mental life of non-human animals. It makes things a little more complicated, it makes our relationship with them a little more complicated. ... For some people, it’s distressing, and ... for other people, it’s incredibly exciting and gratifying.”
McConnell likens it to the reactions when Darwin’s theories of evolution were proven and being publicized. The often-quoted response from the wife of the Bishop of Worcester was, “My dear, descended from the apes! Let us hope it is not true, but if it is, let us pray that it will not become generally known.”
