Do Animals Think?

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that animals think, but they do not have the capacity for self-analysis and conscious growth. The paper discusses how there is little evidence they can turn their thoughts toward themselves and self-improvement in any meaningful way. The paper explains the beliefs of Thomas Nagel, Colin Allen and Eric Saigel who show how animals think and do not simply rely on their instinct to survive.

From the Paper:

"While the idea of conscious thought among animals may be difficult, if not impossible to prove without a doubt at this time, many experts believe animals think. Nagel writes, "Conscious experience is a widespread phenomenon. It occurs at many levels of animal life, though we cannot be sure of its presence in the simpler organisms, and it is very difficult to say in general what provides evidence of it" (Nagel). Even more persuasive is the notion that many animals posses "access consciousness" as a result of "representational content" broadcast into a "global workspace" that is available for all species to use (Allen)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Allen, Colin. "Animal Consciousness." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006. 8 Dec. 2006.<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness-animal/>
• Nagel, Thomas. "What is it Like to be a Bat." Philosophical Review 83, no.4 (Oct. 1974), pp.435-50. <http://members.aol.com/NeoNoetics/Nagel_Bat.html>
• Saigel, Eric. "Consciousness Without Awareness." Psyche. 1999. 8 Dec. 2006.<http://psyche.cs.monash.edu.au/v5/psyche-5-16-saidel.html>

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