Single Idea 19220

[catalogued under 15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 7. Animal Minds]

Full Idea

Those whom we are so fond of referring to as the 'lower animals' reason very little. Now I beg you to observe that those beings very rarely commit a mistake, while we ---- !

Gist of Idea

We may think animals reason very little, but they hardly ever make mistakes!

Source

Charles Sanders Peirce (Reasoning and the Logic of Things [1898], I)

Book Reference

Peirce,Charles Sanders: 'Reasoning and the Logic of Things', ed/tr. Ketner,K.L. [Harvard 1992], p.110


A Reaction

We might take this as pessimism about reason, but I would take it as inviting a much broader view of rationality. I think nearly all animal behaviour is highly rational. Are animals 'sensible' in what they do? Their rationality is unadventurous.