Non-Human Animal Emotions: Homological or Functional Kinds?

Abstract

In our daily lives, we attribute emotions to non-human animals. However, the ontological commitments this implies are still in discussion. Particularly, philosophers still debate whether considerations about the mechanisms underlying emotions are necessary or not to attribute emotions to non-human animals. Here, I argue that such considerations are not sufficient, and that a functionalist perspective is more fruitful than its main contender, the homology thinking view. To do this, I consider findings from experimental psychology on emotion attribution to non-human animals and distinguish two questions concerning such emotions. I then discuss functionalism and homology thinking, claiming that homology thinking precludes promising empirical hypotheses from the outset, resulting in a more limited position than functionalism. Hence, functionalism inherits many benefits of homology thinking while providing more productive grounds