Book Review: Baboon Metaphysics

[rug]

Posted by Neno December
Thursday, April 30, 2015

If we want to understand what it is to be humans, we need to understand what differentiates us from the rest of the animal kingdom--in particular, those closely related to us. Darwin once wrote,

“He who understands baboons would do more towards metaphysics than Locke.”

In a book entitled Baboon Metaphysics: The Evolution of a Social Mind, primatologists Dorothy L. Cheney and Richard M. Seyfarth have taken Darwin's challenge and in the process have uncovered valuable insight into the social mind. The main focus of the book is a troop of Papio hamadryas ursinus (chacma baboons) found in the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. The book is divided into twelve chapters:

1. The Evolution of Mind
2. The Primate Mind in Myth and Legend
3. Habitat, Infanticide, and Predation
4. Males: Competition, Infanticide, and Friendship
5. Females: Kinship, Rank, Competition, and Cooperation
6. Social Knowledge
7. The Social Intelligence Hypothesis
8. Theory of Mind
9. Self-Awareness and Consciousness
10. Communication
11. Precursors to Language
12. Baboon Metaphysics

This is a fantastic book. Although the book heavily focuses on baboons, it is not necessarily just about baboons. In a much broader context, this book is about social cognition. The main thesis of the book seems to be that social cognition is a precursor to the evolution of language. To demonstrate and further elaborate on this connection, the authors use their own and other's research on animal communications. Overall, the intended audience is clearly very broad. The book is beautifully written and filled with fascinating information that keeps the reader interested and wanting more. The science and the philosophy that are inherently part of the book is not at all overwhelming--everything is broken down so that any lay person can grasp what the authors are attempting to communicate. I highly recommend this book. Here are some baboon videos, enjoy!

http://untemperedintellect.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-baboon-metaphysics.html

[Jim__]

1. So, Hamadryas baboons fight wars.

I couldn't tell if any of them were killed, but it must happen from time to time. I'd love to read the chapter on self-awareness and consciousness.

[rug]

2. Same here.

That seems to be the borderland between human beings and other mammals.

It's also the springboard for a lot of theological speculation.

[Laffy Kat]

3. Hmmm. Wonder if baboons have their own mythology?

Or if that is just a human thing. Guess we'll never know. Interesting to think about.