Anthropomorphism in Human–Animal Interactions: A Pragmatist View

Frontiers in Psychology

Véronique Servais¹ 

关键词: anthropomorphism;    human–;    animal interaction;    animism;    pragmatism;    relationality;    expressive gesture;    direct perception;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02590

学科分类：心理学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

This paper explores anthropomorphism in human–animal interactions from the theoretical perspectives of pragmatism and anthropology of human–animal communication. Its aim is to challenge the conception of anthropomorphism as the attribution/inference of human properties to a non-human animal – particularly as a special case of the theory of mind. The author’s goal is to articulate a plausible an alternative conception of anthropomorphism as a situated direct perception of human properties by someone who is engaged in a given situation and sensitive to what the animal is doing to them. Rooted in pragmatist theory as well as in contemporary anthropological studies, this paper offers an original perspective for in depth ethnographic and empirical studies of anthropomorphism-in-situation. Such studies could bring new insights in the study of how ordinary people make sense of animal behaviors in real-life situations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY