ABSTRACT
The status of animal consciousness is not just a philosophical problem either, and the difficulties concerning those incapable of speech are compounded by differences in anatomy and behavior. Morgan's "Canon" was widely acknowledged as the scientific study of animal cognition began to develop in the beginning of the 20th century, particularly among behaviorists. The structure of the argument from analogy for animal consciousness turns on the premise that conscious human beings are highly similar to most individuals of this-or-that species. Inferring the presence of mental states by their causal roles has also been applied to the problem of animal consciousness, though this requires a grasp of its function. Animal welfare is a major practical concern with legal frameworks and policy about conscious pain turning on outcomes of the scientific and philosophical debates. Animal consciousness is a prime example of philosophy's relevance to a robust interdisciplinary conversation overlapping with matters of continual interest to the public and policy makers.
