Tag: Tool use (human vs. animal)

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
December 3, 2024

Categorized
Animal mind, Evolution, Human exceptionalism, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Tool use (human vs. animal)}

At SciAm: When did human ancestors start using stone tools?

_{Setting aside the question of whether the various groups mentioned in the article are in fact our ancestors, stone tool use is not even confined to primates} _{Denyse O'Leary
December 3, 2024

5

Animal mind, Evolution, Human exceptionalism, Philosophy of Mind}

It’s not stone tool use that is exclusive to humans; vultures can do that. It’s the ability to form abstract ideas — like the study of tool use among animals.

Why Humans Can’t “Share the Spotlight” With Tool-Using Animals

_{As the Ivy League war on human exceptionalism motors on, researchers’ thinking sometimes shorts out — and they don’t even notice} _{Denyse O'Leary
March 1, 2024

5

Animal mind, Human exceptionalism, Philosophy of Mind}

Their discussion of animal behavior depends wholly on the uniquely human ability to abstract. That ability also radically changes how humans use tools.