Description
Step 1: Decide your position on the course question "Is human cognition unique from that of other animals? Why or why not?" You must argue for one side -- in other words, you have to answer yes or no. An ambiguous viewpoint is not defensible.
Step 2: Once your viewpoint is decided, do some research to ensure your position is well supported before you start writing. A suggestion is to do a pros/cons list to sort what you find into evidence for your claim versus counter-evidence. Then, use your list to make an outline. The general structure should be introduction, main body with supporting points for argument with counter-evidence, and conclusion. Remember you are writing for an academic audience.
- Step 3: Write your position paper. Your submission should be at least 1,000 words excluding the title and reference list. You can use any word processing program that you want. If you use something other than Microsoft Word, please save to PDF so that your work opens correctly inside Canvas. There are no formatting requirements but double spacing makes it easier to read.
Overall Impression: Self-explanatory; see rubric.
Argument: Does author state their position on the question clearly?
Evidence: Does the author introduce the topic and provide the context to understand why it is important? Does author provide an objective and defensible basis for his/her/their position? Does the author explain the terms, background, or details of evidence needed to convince the reader of his/her/their argument?
- Counter-Evidence: Does the author consider the opposing viewpoint fairly? Does the author explain any literature that contradicts the main points of his/her/their argument? Is the paper free of subjective interpretations (i.e., author's unsupported opinion/personal knowledge or beliefs about animals)?
Explanation & Answer
View attached explanation and answer. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Is Human Cognition Unique from that of other Animals?
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Human beings seem to have cognitive abilities distinct from those of other animals, even our
closest primate ancestors, on the surface. From maps to art to governments and religions, human
intellect has resulted in a wide range of complex tools, technologies, mathematical symbols, and
visual symbols. Self-control permeates human cognition: the ability to participate in
sophisticated, objective activities instead of just reacting to the circumstance at hand (Vygotsky
et al., 2012). This makes human cognition unique from that of other animals. This essay will use
the "theory of mind," also called the belief-desire psychology, to support the research. It will also
show human beings as intentional and mental agents and compare human cognitive abilities to
the cognitive abilities of apes.
The belief-desire psychology that distinguishes human social cognition from that of other
animals is typically what most clearly divides adult humans from one another as practical and
epistemically rational beings. The belief-desire psychology is also a feature of the human mind,
according to numerous views (Vygotsky et al., 2012; Jaeggi et al., 2010; Call and Carpenter,
2002). In Western epistemology, the belief in one's own mental well-being is given precedence
as a sign of mental well-being. A statement such as "I believe it is raining" has no effect on the
certainty value of an entrenched claim such as "It is raining." Beliefs have a normative feature in
that they may either be accurate or incorrect, and this lends credence to the idea that metarepresentation is an integral part of understanding beliefs. In the context of meta-representation
and assessment, people can reflect on their cognitive activity from roughly 4 to 5 years old.
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Looking at it from the perspective of human evolution may also help to demonstrate people...