Comments

1. 

   Suleman Pervez

   January 22, 2009 at 03:05

   I'm sure Wolves/dogs can empathise both with other dogs and even humans. I'm sure they can be compassionate like the time when Bobby the Scots Terrier lamented the death of his Master Greyfriar. I don't think wolves have ever invented anything, but if they had opposible digits I'm sure they would have invented something by now - probably a canine can opener.
2. 

   Caspar Henderson

   January 26, 2009 at 12:21

   Alexander Fiske-Harrison wishes The Philosopher and the Wolf had included a section on what it is like to be a wolf. Perhaps Temple Grandin is helpful. Consider, for example, this from an essay on consciousness in animals and people with autism: Chimpanzees have self awareness. When they look at themselves in a mirror, they do not react to the image as if it was another animal, and if paint is applied to the chimps face, it will try to wipe it off. Because dogs are not able to do this, one should not jump to the conclusion that dogs are not self aware. Dogs may not be visually self aware, but are possibly smell self aware. A dog marking its territory is able to discriminate between its own urine and a strange dog's urine.
3. 

   Alexander Fiske-Harrison

   January 26, 2009 at 14:49

   An interesting idea - I dealt very abruptly once before with the idea of dogs and self-awareness in some comments on my 'Morality and Mortality' post on this blog, but it deserves more thought. However, I suspect that given the way smell works, it would be impossible to verify. The smell of a dog’s urine is a snapshot of its internal chemistry at a given moment in time. One cannot manipulate and register this in the same way you can anatomical position with the constant feedback of light from the mirror. I don’t doubt a dog can distinguish the smell of itself from that of another dog, but I do doubt they go on to attach that to a concept of self in the way an ape, bottlenose dolphin or elephant does. It is interesting to hear Temple Grandin mentioned on this, someone who is not much known in the UK. The only reason I do is that a good friend is playing her in a forthcoming movie about her life. I hope she becomes better known as a result. AF-H (click my name at top to go to The Last Arena - The World of the Spanish Bullfight)
4. 

   Charlie Gilmour

   October 26, 2011 at 14:59

   Yes, I remember Fiske-Harrison's essay on bullfighting, which is why I came here to find out if his book is any good as the TLS is clearly a contaminated source, but it seems you haven't reviewed it yet. Do you not review your own contributors' books? Perhaps the TLS should have followed the same policy. CK