A pragmatist explanation of technical capabilities in nonhuman animals

Abstract

Human technological capabilities have been analyzed as a distinctive feature of the species. However, recent discoveries in the field of ethology show that other species besides humans are also able to use and make tools. Ihde and Malafouris (2019) have suggested analyzing nonhuman animals' technical capabilities using an enactivist framework, as they do for humans. This paper explores a pragmatist approach, combining gradual evolutionary continuity with enactivism. I will characterize nonhuman animals' technical capacities using John Dewey's notions of experience, problematic situation, accommodation, adaptation, and inquiry. The technical capabilities of nonhuman animals are better explained in a non-dichotomic fashion, avoiding anthropocentric explanations.