What is Consciousness?

For many years, philosophers and scientists have engaged in extensive discussions regarding the definition of consciousness. This ongoing debate complicates its study. Nonetheless, as Anil Seth (2021) posits in his book Being You, there is a consensus on a broad definition: consciousness encompasses any subjective experience.

Building on this idea, just as different types of memory exist, various forms of consciousness can be identified. One notable example is metacognition, which refers to the awareness of one’s own knowledge (e.g., raising your hand to answer a question because you recognize you know the answer). Demonstrating that an animal exhibits metacognition could substantiate claims of consciousness.

Numerous behavioral assessments exist to evaluate whether an animal displays consciousness. A well-known, albeit debated, example is the marked mirror test (Gallup et al., 2002). In this test, an animal must identify a painted mark on its body by observing its reflection in a mirror. Success in this task indicates self-awareness, providing evidence of consciousness.

Additionally, the capacity to consciously experience pain is also a subjective phenomenon deserving consideration.

The Misconception of Consciousness in Animals

A common misconception is that animals must exhibit consciousness equivalent to that of humans to be acknowledged as conscious beings. This perspective is fundamentally flawed. During discussions with fellow students or academics, the conversation often shifts to whether other animals mirror human consciousness. This anthropocentric and reductionist viewpoint overlooks the concept of sentience.

It is essential to recognize that animals do not need to possess human-like consciousness to be deemed conscious. Sentience, defined as the capacity to have conscious experiences with positive or negative value (Birch, 2024), is crucial and establishes minimal criteria for subjective experiences. If an animal can feel pain or other sensations, it provides compelling evidence for its consciousness, and current research supports this notion.

So, Do Animals Experience Consciousness?

In summary, scientific findings affirm that animals do possess consciousness. In 2012, a group of scientists formalized this understanding through the Cambridge Declaration of Animal Consciousness, asserting that mammals have substantial evidence to be recognized as conscious beings. The discourse has since expanded to include fish, reptiles, and even invertebrates.

When assessing animals' capabilities to consciously perceive experiences, mammals and birds undoubtedly demonstrate consciousness. Fish and reptiles may also exhibit these qualities, although further investigation is warranted. Some invertebrates, particularly cephalopods like octopuses, show strong signs of sentience (Birch et al., 2024). Surprisingly, evidence suggests that even bees could be conscious.

What might their Umwelt—their perceptual world—entail? This remains an open question, and I intend to explore it further in an upcoming article.

“With a greater sense of understanding comes a greater sense of wonder.” — Anil Seth.

Consciousness is a vast subject. Just as various types of memory exist, numerous forms of consciousness can be identified. Certain behaviors indicate that an animal possesses subjective experiences. However, many individuals mistakenly believe that other animals must possess consciousness akin to humans to qualify as conscious beings, which is incorrect.

I will elaborate on how neuroscience aims to unravel the Umwelt of animals in future discussions. In the meantime, I encourage you to explore these insightful scientific articles:

• Dimensions of Animal Consciousness
• How Should We Study Animal Consciousness Scientifically?
• Animal Consciousness: A Synthetic Approach
• In Search of Consciousness in Animals: Using Working Memory and Voluntary Attention as Behavioral Indicators

Do You Have an Affinity for Animals? Subscribe to our new free newsletter, Cognitive Creatures, for science-based posts about the remarkable beings in nature.

Thank you for your interest!

See you,

Axel

Reference

Birch, J. (2024). The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI.

Gallup, G. G., Anderson, J. R., & Shillito, D. J. (2002). The Mirror Test.

Seth, A. (2021). Being You: A New Science of Consciousness. Penguin.