Learning from Animals? Examining the Nature of Human Uniqueness
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Author(s): L. S. Röska-Hardy and E. M. Neumann-Held (Eds)
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9781841697079
Format: hardback
268pp
Price: £34.95
Review Date: 13 January 2009
Review: It has been disputed that we can learn what makes us human by studying other animal species and many deny that comparative research could help to explain the origins and character of human distinctive capacities. Here the authors look at comparative approaches to understanding human abilities in three ways. They examine the latest findings and theoretical approaches in primatology, comparative psychology, linguistics and philosophy. They make methodological reflections on the prospects and challenges of understanding human capacities through comparative research strategies. They also discuss the conceptual and ethical issues involved. The twelve chapters in this interdisciplinary volume are divided into three parts: Language, Cognition and Culture.