Animals' consciousness and human self-consciousness
Maximos Skandalis, Stefanos Skandalis
Animals show signs of consciousness based on behavioral experiments and similarities in mammalian neuroanatomy, but the level of their consciousness remains uncertain. Humans additionally possess self-consciousness, the ability to perceive and explain their own emotions and actions, which appears to be unique to humans. The claim that animals do not share consciousness is a remnant of humans' belief in being a privileged species. Further research is needed to understand the neuronal mechanisms underlying consciousness and self-consciousness.