Animal Mentation and the Concept of Mind

Animals possess sight and auditory abilities, but lack language; nevertheless, they are capable of thought. Granted, the development of language is often used as a gauge of mental aptitude in humans: "Language competence is intimately tied to, or maybe even definitive of, our concept of human mentality" (Atherton and Schwartz 137). However, while language is an asset which enables people to conceptualize their world, it is by no means a necessity. This is demonstrated by the ability of physically handicapped persons (e.g., the deaf) and mentally handicapped persons (e.g., victims of cerebral palsy) to communicate using symbols. It is also demonstrated by the reliance on kinesics, body language, in young children. Numerous studies attest to the ability of apes and baboons to communicate using symbols and body language. These studies are the first steps in proving the existence of animal mentation.

Griffin argues that many scientists do not accept the notion of animal mentation because of the difficulty of defining abstract concepts such as "consciousness" and "mind" (163). In reviewing the works of other scholars, Griffin puts forth some working definitions. The concept of mind "encompasses sense perception, feeling and emotion, traits of character and personality, and the volitional aspects of human life, as well as the more narrowly intellectual phenomena" (Griffin 163). Consciousness in an entity suggests "an organism which can have intentions . . . the ability

to Lane, hearing paternalism "begins with defective perception, because it superimposes its image of the familiar world of hearing people on the unfamiliar world of deaf people" (37). Quite naturally, with this type of thinking, stereotypes abound. The language deficiencies of the mentally handicapped likewise prompt stereotypes and misconceptions about their cognitive abilities. Savage-Rumbaugh and Lewin cite statistics on the 1.25 million children in the United States who suffer severe speech impairments due to brain deficiencies (183). These children were traditionally given speech therapy, and the failure of many to respond to such therapy was felt to be a result of their diminished mental capacity. Recently, however, such children are being treated using visual-graphic systems capable of teaching symbolic communication. One such study of cerebral palsy patients indicated a remarkable improvement in their social demeanor, word and sentence skills, and ability to take initiative. Another study of symbolic communication therapy in severely mentally retarded children reaped remarkable results: "Individuals for whom all traditional methods of speech and other language training had failed, had learned to communicate for the