From Spider Web to Web: Cognitive Artifacts in Non-Human Animals

Abstract

We examine the notion of cognitive artifact and its possible application to the animal technic. Although the issue of animal technic is not very much discussed, the case studies focused on the capacity of using and manufacturing tools suggest that some animals deploy cognitive skills. Could the tools employed by animals be considered genuine cases of cognitive artifacts? In this paper we propose a definition of “cognitive artifact” based on the notion of “proper function,” which allows us to develop a gradual scale where we place different kinds of artifacts according to the prevalence of the cognitive function (in opposition to the practical one). Applying this scale to the non-human sphere, we defend the idea that there exists a range of non-human technical phenomena of use and artifacts and tools manufacturing, and that some of this artifacts have an incipient proper cognitive function. In order to defend these theses, we examine the examples of the cobwebs, the nests and the honeycombs.

Keywords

• artefactos cognitivos
• animales no-humanos
• función propia
• función sistémica
• telarañas
• panales de abeja