Human mind and non-human minds

Abstract

Darwin believes that there is a substantial continuity between the cognitive abilities expressed by the animal brain and those of humans. Some scholars, however, believe that during the course of evolution there has been a discontinuity in the development of mental faculties such as to differentiate the human mind from non-human ones. The gap would mainly concern two faculties considered the exclusive prerogative of man: language and the so-called Theory of Mind, an expression that indicates the ability to attribute to others desires, intentions, knowledge different from one's own and to modulate one's behavior based on this awareness. This article evaluates recent studies conducted in these fields.