The expressive case for animal self-consciousness
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21750893 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ángel García Rodríguez (0000-0002-4337-047X, Universidad de Murcia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1017-1038 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1568-7759 • E-ISSN: 1572-8676 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11097-023-09899-x |
| OpenAlex | W4322745267 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 8 |
An obstacle for the attribution of self-consciousness to animals is that they lack the linguistic ability to use the first-person pronoun. To overcome the obstacle, current tests rely on the availability of behavioural measures of self-consciousness in the absence of language. However, this is not sufficient, for unless a distinction is drawn between epistemic and expressive varieties of self-consciousness, further puzzles threaten the validity of the research. This paper defends the distinction and shows how to re-evaluate current research into animal self-consciousness in its light, so as to improve conceptual clarity in this area
Attribution · CLARITY · Cognitive psychology · Cognitive science · Consciousness · Epistemology · Metaphysics · Obstacle · Philosophy of language · Philosophy of mind · Self-consciousness · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |