Big Brains Do Animals Understand Death?, with Susana Monsó
Mar 6, 2025
Join Susana Monsó, an Associate Professor at UNED Madrid and author of "Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death," as she delves into the intriguing question of whether animals comprehend death. The discussion ranges from grieving elephants to ants that remove corpses, revealing complex animal behaviors related to mortality. Monsó shares insights on how pets like dogs react to the loss of their owners and explores the philosophical implications of animal consciousness. Can animals truly grasp their own mortality? This conversation will challenge your perception.
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Philosophers Agree Animals Don't Understand Death
- Philosophers generally agree animals cannot understand death, which is unusual given philosophers' tendency to disagree.
- This consensus signals a possible underlying issue in this long-held assumption.
Childhood Empathy for an Ant
- As a child, Susana felt empathy and sorrow when confining an ant to die in a tube.
- This spontaneous moment of empathy led her to consciously free the ant, realizing her act was cruel.
Ants' Corpse Removal Is Instinctual
- Ants exhibit corpse removal behavior triggered by death-cues, not true understanding of death.
- Their actions are pre-programmed responses to pheromones, not cognitive recognition of death.
