Animalism and the human perspective
What are we? What can we survive? According to animalism, we are animals, and so can survive whatever the animals that we are can survive. I argue that animalism ought to be considered a default view, before turning a critical eye towards certain hypothetical cases that are often taken to threaten it. The judgments about these cases that are thought to have anti-animalist import are then revealed to rest on widespread but under-examined assumptions concerning certain aspects of the nature of mind, most notably mental realisation and psychological continuity. These assumptions are shown to be unmotivated, leaving us with no reason to abandon animalism.
Geddes, A. L.
Animalism and the human perspective. What are we? What can we survive? According to animalism, we are animals, and so can survive whatever the animals that we are can survive. I argue that animalism ought to be considered a default view, before turning a critical eye towards certain hypothetical cases that are often taken to threaten it. The judgments about these cases that are thought to have anti-animalist import are then revealed to rest on widespread but under-examined assumptions concerning certain aspects of the nature of mind, most notably mental realisation and psychological continuity. These assumptions are shown to be unmotivated, leaving us with no reason to abandon animalism.
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