Animal Minds

Three credits · Undergraduate

This seminar course provides an introduction to the study of non-human animal cognition and the problem of animal minds. Incorporating perspectives from biology, psychology, and philosophy, this course will outline the methods researchers use to understand how animals think while avoiding the pitfalls of anthropomorphism. Students will review the historical and current research into animal minds, as well as the various arguments for moral status of non-human animals based on their cognitive capacities. Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor. Three credits.