Philosophy of Animal Minds and Behavior Association

The 2026 SSPP conference has a lot of great philosophy of animal minds content! Get your paper submissions in before the Nov 30 deadline and we'll see you there! February 26-28. southernsociety.org

School of Santa Barbara, with Plato the snake and Aristotle the red panda, and a lounging gibbon.

Check out our image gallery from PAMBA Santa Barbara! www.the-pamba.com/events Can you find yourself in these photos? How many species do you count? And thanks to the wonderful @brendadegroot.bsky.social for the School of Santa Barbara illustration which graced the tote bags!

Photo showing Wendy (golden retriever) and Pippi (border collie) looking quizzical, superimposed with thought bubbles with question marks

Seeing an old friend might prompt vivid memories of times you spent together. Do other animals have the same kind of memory - episodic memory? @aliboyle.bsky.social and I introduce philosophical issues around such questions in a new Phil. Compass piece doi.org/10.1111/phc3... 1/9

After a great talk by Caroline Ristau we went to the beach to see the plovers. No broken wing displays in sight. #PAMBA25

PAMBA Santa Barbara begins! @simonfitzpatrick.bsky.social examines how and why animal culture matters

We are delighted to announce the winner of the 2025 PAMBA Prize, Giulia Palazzolo @giuliapalazzolo.bsky.social for her paper

Toward a bounded hierarchy framework for the study of the evolution of human syntax

www.the-pamba.com/prize

Congratulations Giulia!

YouTube video by Big Brains Philosopher Susana Monsó examines whether animals understand death. #podcast #interview

Susana Monsó talks about animal concept of death on the Big Brains podcast. www.youtube.com/shorts/baVga...

Conferences & other meetings — PAMBA

PAMBA Santa Barbara schedule now available!
www.the-pamba.com/events

EP #12 | Understanding Animal Minds | Jacob Beck Cognitations · Episode

Listen to philosopher @JacobBeck talk about his academic journey and his take on animal minds in an interview with Jay Richardson for the podcast @Cognitations.

open.spotify.com/episode/3dnc...?

This deer-riding monkey could rewrite the story of evolution. Here’s why

Great to see this coverage of our growing understanding of interspecies animal culture! www.sciencefocus.com/comment/monk...

If you want a little more time before submitting your 1000 word abstract or paper for the PAMBA Prize, you have it! Submissions for the next PAMBA meeting in Santa Barbara (April 24-26) have been extended another week, until Feb 10. www.the-pamba.com/events

One week left for submissions! Colin Allen @wileyprof.bsky.social is organizing a great meeting for us in Santa Barbara, including a field trip to observe the nesting piping plovers.

An owl on the Greek letter phi.

The second PAMBA meeting will be at UC Santa Barbara April 24-26 2025. Deadline for abstract and paper submissions is Feb 3.

Keynote speakers:

Dorit Bar-On
Laura Danón
Simon Fitzpatrick
Mark Rowlands

A small number of travel bursaries will be available for students.
www.the-pamba.com/events

An owl on the Greek letter phi.

The second PAMBA meeting will be at UC Santa Barbara April 24-26 2025. Deadline for abstract and paper submissions is Feb 3.

Keynote speakers:

Dorit Bar-On
Laura Danón
Simon Fitzpatrick
Mark Rowlands

A small number of travel bursaries will be available for students.
www.the-pamba.com/events

The word "PAMBA" with an owl sitting on the "A"

The first PAMBA Prize went to Rhys Borchert and Aliya Dewey @aliyardewey.bsky.social for their paper "In Praise of Animals". Who will win the second PAMBA prize? Submissions accepted until February 3, 2025.
www.the-pamba.com/prize.

PAMBA Prize — PAMBA

We are pleased to invite submissions for the 2025 PAMBA Prize essay contest in the philosophy of animal minds for early-career researchers. The winning paper will be published in Biology & Philosophy and presented as a keynote at the meeting in Santa Barbara. For details: www.the-pamba.com/prize

PAMBA 2025 — PAMBA The second meeting of the Philosophy of Animal Minds and Behavior Association will be held at the University of Santa Barbara April 24-26 2025, hosted by Colin Allen. We are planning an exciting three...

PAMBA 2025 Santa Barbara CFP out now! www.the-pamba.com/events-1/pam... #philsky

PAMBA 2025 in Santa Barbara is inching closer!

April 24-26 will be here before you know it, with keynote speakers

Dorit Bar-On
Laura Danón
Simon Fitzpatrick
Mark Rowlands

Stay tuned for the CFP and exciting news!

I've written a short piece about 5 of my favourite books: shepherd.com/best-books/c...

Are bonobos really hippie apes? Are chimps war-mongers?

I wrote a short piece for Learning & Behavior, spotlighting exciting new findings that start to build a clearer picture of the differences between the social lives of our two closest relatives!

rdcu.be/dUS2H

This was a labour of love. Co-written with Giulia Palazzolo. Since the field consists of disconnected pockets of intense research, I think this is likely the most complete and systematic overview of the philosophy of animal communication literature to date.

plato.stanford.edu/entries/anim...

Death-feigning, animal concepts, and the use of empirical case studies in animal cognition | The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science: Vol 0, No ja

I'm over the moon to finally be able to share my paper 'Death-feigning, animal concepts, and the use of empirical case studies in animal cognition' (co-written with @ldanon.bsky.social), out now in @thebjps.bsky.social. Perfect timing, too, as I can now write a thread on it! 🤩🧵👇

What Are Zoos For?, by Heather Browning Are zoos an anachronism in the 21st century when we can watch animals in their natural habitat, close-up from our couches without worrying about cruelty? Should they go the way of other bygone era 'sp...

Only two weeks until my book is released! Tertulia is offering discount preorders: 25% off with code ZOOS entered at checkout
tertulia.com/book/what-ar...

A note for my new followers that I own a mailing list (currently 280+ subscribers) where I share a selection of the latest papers in animal cognition and ethics, and where any member can share any relevant paper too. Nothing else, just papers. Join here: groups.google.com/g/animcogeth...

Rather than asking "Do animals have P?" philosophers have taken to analyzing P dimensionally, then comparing how different species exemplify P. The dimensional approach has been used to ask better questions about animal personhood, consciousness, social norms, inference, and concepts. 🔗👇

Save The Date-The second meeting of the Philosophy of Animal Minds and Behavior Association will be held at the University of Santa Barbara April 24-26 2025. Stay tuned for info about talks and events—including a tour of Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve to observe plovers!

Since there's been another influx of people, fleeing from Elon's forum for harassment, hate speech & authoritarianism, it's probably worth sharing my animal studies Starter Pack again. Welcome everyone: go.bsky.app/Tn1bWb3

Subscribe to PAMBA — PAMBA

To get all the latest Philosophy of Animal Minds news, subscribe to the PAMBA mailing list www.the-pamba.com/subscribe

Save The Date-The second meeting of the Philosophy of Animal Minds and Behavior Association will be held at the University of Santa Barbara April 24-26 2025. Stay tuned for info about talks and events—including a tour of Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve to observe plovers!