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Philosophy & Children

“Can Animals Think?”: Talking Philosophy With Children

Robert Fisher finds wisdom in the mouths of infants.

We were reading a story about animals when I asked my boys, aged six and nine, “Can animals think?”

“Yes,” said Tom, “they can think because they can talk.”

“How do you know?” I asked.

“If they couldn’t think they couldn’t get away from their enemies. Like my guinea pigs hide under the cupboard to get away from us. If they didn’t have brains they would die,” Tom answered.

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