The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Animal Minds

This collection offers readers a rich feast of ideas, information and argument about the minds of some of the other beings with whom we share our planet. The chapters draw on recent scientific breakthroughs that inform discussions of such questions as the possibility of consciousness in ants, on the evidence for pain in fish, and on the capacities for empathy of rats and chimpanzees. It is hard to imagine any reader who will not find something in these pages that will excite his or her own mind. - Peter Singer, Princeton University, USA; author of Animal Liberation This is exciting stuff! A new field of philosophy has come of age and this broad ranging volume has assembled an all-star collection of authors. For anyone interested in animals and their mental life, it will be the go-to volume for the next decade. - Stephen Stich, Rutgers University, USA What is it like to be a non-human being? In penetrating, sometimes entertaining chapters, numerous authors summarize the many approaches to the many parts of the answer to that question. This is a thorough overview of the immense span of human thinking about the capacity of non-human beings to experience life. It is a great resource for students, teachers, researchers, and writers interested in the topic. - Carl Safina, Stony Brook University, USA; author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel