It appears that the provided text is an excerpt from an essay that discusses the philosophical problem of erring animals as considered by medieval thinkers. The essay delves into how medieval philosophers such as William of Ockham, Adam Wodeham, and Gregory of Rimini tackled the issue of animals making mistakes and what this suggests about the nature of nonhuman minds. Here is a summary of the key points based on the given text:
The Problem of Erring Animals:
– Medieval philosophers observed that animals, like humans, can make mistakes. This observation challenged the scholastic view of the time that humans are unique due to their intellect and rational souls.
– The scholastics had to reconcile empirical evidence of animals making mistakes with their belief that only humans have an intellect.
The Philosophical Dilemma:
– The philosophers wondered how animals could err if they lacked an intellect, which was believed to be the faculty responsible for making mistakes.
– This led to the awkward conclusion that animals seemed to be performing acts of the intellect without actually possessing one.
Relevance Today:
– This medieval debate reflects ongoing discussions about nonhuman minds and the extent to which we are willing to adjust our assumptions about intelligence and consciousness.
– The challenge of understanding nonhuman minds remains, as we cannot fully discern the inner experiences of other beings, human or nonhuman.
William of Ockham:
– The text mentions William of Ockham as one of the medieval philosophers who engaged with this problem. Ockham was a prominent figure in scholasticism and is known for his principle of ontological parsimony, often referred to as Ockham’s Razor.
The Parallax Effect:
– The essay begins with a description of the parallax effect, which is a sensory illusion where the perceived motion of an object is the opposite of its actual motion. This effect was used as a metaphor for the philosophical problem of erring animals.
Given that the text is an excerpt, it does not provide a complete answer to why medieval philosophers cared if animals made mistakes. However, it suggests that their concern was part of a broader inquiry into the nature of intelligence, consciousness, and the distinction between human and nonhuman animals. This inquiry was critical in shaping the way medieval scholars understood the world and their place in it, and it has implications for contemporary discussions about animal cognition and the ethics of our treatment of nonhuman animals.
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