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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.
31:58

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The podcast challenges the notion that only humans understand death, suggesting that some animals may grasp this complex concept through social interactions and experiences.
  • It emphasizes the distinction between grieving behaviors and the comprehension of mortality, highlighting that animals exhibit emotional responses that don’t necessarily imply an understanding of death as humans perceive it.

Deep dives

Philosophical Perspectives on Animal Understanding of Death

The discussion centers on the surprising lack of literature addressing whether animals can comprehend death, with many philosophers asserting that such understanding is a uniquely human trait. The speaker argues that this consensus among philosophers raises questions about the reliability of their conclusions, suggesting a need for deeper exploration into the cognitive abilities shared between humans and animals. As death is a complex concept intertwined with notions of absence and time, the default belief that only humans grasp it may overlook significant similarities in the emotional and cognitive capacities of other animals. The speaker's research aims to foster appreciation for animal intelligence and challenge assumptions regarding their moral considerations, depending on their understanding of mortality.

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