How Causality Works in Nonhuman Minds

This chapter delves into the realm of causality in nonhuman minds, exploring how animals demonstrate causal thinking and reasoning. Drawing parallels between machine-like thinking in programming and the nuanced cognition of animals, we examine examples such as Temple Grandin’s empathetic connection with cows and Margaret Hamilton’s systematic approach in software engineering. Challenging historical anthropocentrism, it illuminates animals’ proto-causal understanding and the evolutionary necessity of intuitive probabilistic approaches for decision-making in the wild. Diverse instances of causal thinking in animals are presented, including tools use, primate problem-solving, bird spatial reasoning, vervet monkey communication, and arithmetic skills in various species. The chapter distinguishes between fixed action patterns (FAPs) and causal reactions, illustrating how animals with causal understanding exhibit flexibility and adaptability. Recent research by Johnston, Brecht, and Nieder is explored, highlighting statistical inference abilities in crows and challenging the traditional view of this skill as uniquely human. The discussion extends to the Cambrian explosion, associating the emergence of associative learning with the rapid diversification of species and emphasizing the fundamental role of causal understanding in adaptation. The interplay of genetics, epigenetics, optimization, fixed action patterns, and behavioral flexibility in animal behavior offers a comprehensive perspective on causality in the animal kingdom.