Suspending Belief: Epoche in Animal Behavior Science - Notes

Abstract

• Focuses on the study of human-animal relations in anthropology.
• Addresses scientific skepticism regarding nonhuman animal minds.
• Critiques the detachment of scientific approaches from nonhumans.
•  Appraises intersubjective relations researchers maintain with the animals they study.
• Introduces the concept of "epoche"—the balance between engagement and detachment in animal behavior science.

Prelude: Doubtful Relations

• Context set in Kalahari with meerkat behaviors observed by Marie, a volunteer.
• Various calls of meerkats offer insights into their complex behaviors.
• Observations reveal anthropomorphic language used by volunteers, which scientists are trained to avoid.
• Discusses the tension between scientific language (stimuli-responses) and anthropomorphic language.

Introduction: An Ethnography of Skepticism

• The article seeks to explore scientists' lived experiences of skepticism towards animal minds.
• Challenges traditional assumptions of Western science as detached from animal personhood.
• Critiques of naturalist ontology, emphasizing the fluid relationship between observation and belief in sciences.
• Introduces skepticism as an active practice rather than a fixed doctrine.

Two Field Sites

Kalahari Meerkat Project (KMP)

• Behavioral ecologists focus on physiological causes and evolutionary functions of meerkat behavior.
• Researchers collect extensive data while navigating between seeing meerkats as subjects versus objects.
• Interaction methods necessitate careful balance; behavioral gathering requires detachment from emotional anthropomorphism.

Comparative Cognition Lab (CCL)

• Cognitive scientists study corvids’ (crows, jays) cognitive abilities, focusing on specific tasks and behaviors.
• Experimental design requires control of conditions, emphasizing skepticism in methodology.
• Differentiates between proper training and unintentional conditioning in cognitive assessments.

Meerkats: Between Data and Intention

• Ethologists distinguish between subjective intentions versus robust behavioral data.
• Balancing relational interactions with meerkats while avoiding subjective interpretations in data collection.
• Concept of personal connection to animals emphasized during operational activities (e.g., weighing).

Corvids: Procedural Skepticism

• Cognitive abilities of corvids scrutinized, leaning on experimental evidence for accuracy versus emotional judgement.
• Noted divide between subjective interpretations of behaviors (personal beliefs about intelligence) and scientific objectivity.

Belief, Trust, and Epoche

• Compares “belief in” (trust-based) versus “belief that” (propositional), illuminating scientists’ methodological skepticism.
• Epoche: defines the scientists’ strategic decision to withhold judgment about animal minds despite meaningful interactions.

Toward a Comparative Anthropology of Epoche

• Advocates for a critical understanding of how both Western scientists and other cultures maintain flexible belief systems regarding animal mindsets.
• Suggests the analysis of epistemological dilemmas across different cultural contexts can enhance understanding of skepticism.