Descartes’ Arguments against Animal Thought and Reason

Przemysław GUT

Department of the History of Modern and ContemporaryPhilosophy, Institute of Theoretical Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, al. Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin, Poland , Poland

Arkadiusz GUT

Department of Epistemology, Institute of Theoretical Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, al. Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin , Poland

Abstract

The objective of the present article is a discussion of Descartes’ arguments against animal thought and reason. The framework of the text is that of a historical analysis primarily intended to describe the main arguments used by Descartes. However, the scrutiny goes beyond purely historical analysis in significant aspects.

The article comprises four sections. In the first one, the contemporary theoretical background of the problems pertaining to animal thought has been outlined. The focus of the second section is the context of Descartes’ arguments and the assumptions inherent in them. The third section includes a presentation of the main arguments developed by Descartes, who denies the possibility to attribute the capacity of thought and reason to animals. In the fourth section, the response to the Cartesian standpoint both in modern and in contemporary thought has been described.

Translated by Dorota Chabrajska

Keywords:

17th century philosophy, René Descartes, language, thinking, animals