Publication
Title
Zoomorphism
Author
Abstract
Anthropomorphism is the methodology of attributing human-like mental states to animals. Zoomorphism is the converse of this: it is the attribution of animal-like mental states to humans. Zoomorphism proceeds by first understanding what kind of mental states animals have and then attributing these mental states to humans. Zoomorphism has been widely used as scientific methodology especially in cognitive neuroscience. But it has not been taken seriously as a philosophical explanatory paradigm: as a way of explaining the building blocks of the human mind. The philosophical explanatory paradigm of zoomorphism may not explain all aspects of human behavior (although it may explain surprisingly many), but if we accept the zoomorphic way of thinking about the human mind, we should only posit new, different kinds of mental states if the zoomorphic attribution of animal mental states fails to explain our behavior.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Erkenntnis: an international journal of analytical philosophy. - Dordrecht
Publication
Dordrecht : 2021
ISSN
0165-0106 [print]
1572-8420 [online]
DOI
10.1007/S10670-018-0099-0
Volume/pages
86 (2021) , p. 171-186
ISI
000615571000010
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 05.02.2019
Last edited 21.11.2024
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