Is man an animal?
Philippe Descola and Alain Prochiantz
Hasn't defining man in relation to animals been the avowed dream of philosophers since the 17th century? The stakes were high, since it was a question of defining man's nature as well as his destination. While today's biologist admits that man is more or less an animal like any other, given the minute genetic differences between a great ape and man, he nevertheless attaches importance to the discontinuity between man and animal. Anthropologists seem to be going in the opposite direction. Faced with the progress of field ethology, he dethrones man from a certain number of supremacies. He shares the cognitive capacities of humans and animals. Particularly when it comes to technology. It also respects animist societies, which see humans and animals as living beings with autonomous qualities. A dialogue that blurs boundaries and redistributes roles.
Further reading
Prochiantz A., Darwin : 200 ans, Odile Jacob, coll. " Collège de France ", 2010.
Descola P., Par-delà la nature et la culture, Gallimard, 2005.
