34831Y151 Clever Hans is often given as an example

Q&@
OF THE WAY
HUMANS ERRONEOUSLY HUMANISE ANIMALS,
ASCRIBING TO THEM FAR MORE FAR MORE AMAZING ABILITIES THAN THEY ACTUALLY POSSESS.
IN FACT, HOWEVER, THE LESSON IS JUST THE OPPOSITE. THE STORY DEMONSTRATES THAT BY HUMANISING
ANIMALS WE USUALLY underestimate ANIMAL COGNITION AND IGNORE THE UNIQUE ABILITIES OF OTHER
CREATURES. As far as math goes, Hans was hardly a genius. Any eight-year-old kid could do much better.
However, in his ability to deduce emotions and intentions from body language, Hans was a true genius.
If a Chinese person were to ask me in Mandarin what is four times three, there is no way that I could correctly
tap my foot twelve times simply by observing facial expressions & body language. Clever Hans enjoyed this
ability because horses normally communicate with each other through body language. What was remarkable
about Hans, however, is that he could use the method to decipher the emotions & intentions not only of his fellow
horses, but also of unfamiliar humans. Ìf animals áre só clever, why don't horses harness humans to carts, ràts
conduct experiments on us, and dolphins make ùs jump through hoops? Homo sapiens surely has some
unique ability that enables it to dominate all the other animals! Having dismissed the overblown notions that
Homo sapiens exists on an entirely different plain from other animals, or that humans
possess some unique essence like soul or consciousness,
we can finally climb down to the level of
reality & examine the particular
physical or mental abilities
that give our
species its
edge.

12 jun 2019 - bewerkt op 16 jun 2019 - meld ongepast verhaal
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