Animal consciousness. Summary of the multidisciplinary assesment
Résumé
Do animals experience emotions? Think? Have a life story? Since antiquity, philosophers have contrasting answers to those questions. From the Nineteenth century onwards, thoughts on the nature of animals were enriched by scientific insights from evolutionary theory, ethology, neurophysiology and cognitive sciences. Meanwhile, animal consciousness remains controversial within the scientific community. In 2012, a group of leading scientists felt the need to publish a manifesto entitled the “Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness” it states that “convergent evidence indicates that nonhuman animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviours”.
Current knowledge, including the outcome of this multidisciplinary scientific assessment, shows that animals possess a wide range of cognitive abilities associated with behaviours of varying complexity. The forms of consciousness observed in humans presuppose distinct cognitive abilities which are found in certain animals. Could it be concluded that animals possess some sort of consciousness similar, albeit not identical, to that of humans?
Research on levels and contents of consciousness in animals is emerging as a scientific topic of major interest due to its high level of complexity and associated controversies. Current scientific advances invite us to revisit ethical considerations regarding the relationships between humans and animals (domestic animals in particular).
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