Background for
Animal Consciousness
1-5 May 2023 | Dharamsala
Background for Animal Consciousness
1-5 May 2023 | Dharamsala
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
The first Animal Consciousness Conference, held in Dharamshala, India on May 1-5, 2023, covered a wide range of issues – from the global Buddhist demarcation of the world into sentient and non-sentient, through the panorama of the phenomena of sentience and consciousness in various biological taxa, discussions of theories of consciousness and its neurobiological mechanisms, to moral and ethical issues and policies in the field of animal consciousness.
The main scientific objective of the conference was to review current advances and challenges in theoretical and experimental studies of consciousness in the animal world, Scientists studying these issues do not often gather together, being tied to other scientific communities and their traditional conferences. The organizational goal of the conference was to prepare the ground for regular interdisciplinary conferences in the field of animal consciousness research.
The idea for this conference arose from discussions with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Buddhism's interest in animal consciousness has deep conceptual and ethical foundations. As the Dalai Lama explains in his book “The Universe in a Single Atom” “for modern science… the critical divide seems to be between inanimate matter and the origin of living organisms, while for Buddhism the critical divide is between non-sentient matter and the emergence of sentient beings. … This fundamental difference between Buddhism and science… has significant ramifications, among them a difference in how the two investigative traditions may regard consciousness. For biology, consciousness is a secondary issue since it is characteristic of a subset of living organisms rather than of all of life. In Buddhism, since the definition of ‘living’ refers to sentient beings, consciousness is the primary characteristic of ‘life’”. This division between sentience and non-sentience is so important for Buddhism because of its focus on happiness and alleviation of suffering for all sentient beings, a topic that was the subject of a separate session at the conference.
The conference was organized in cooperation with the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamshala and included participation and presentations by a number of outstanding Buddhist scholars on issues of consciousness, as well as a meeting and conversation between the conference participants and the Dalai Lama.
The main scientific objective of the conference was to review current advances and challenges in theoretical and experimental studies of consciousness in the animal world, Scientists studying these issues do not often gather together, being tied to other scientific communities and their traditional conferences. The organizational goal of the conference was to prepare the ground for regular interdisciplinary conferences in the field of animal consciousness research.
The idea for this conference arose from discussions with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Buddhism's interest in animal consciousness has deep conceptual and ethical foundations. As the Dalai Lama explains in his book “The Universe in a Single Atom” “for modern science… the critical divide seems to be between inanimate matter and the origin of living organisms, while for Buddhism the critical divide is between non-sentient matter and the emergence of sentient beings. … This fundamental difference between Buddhism and science… has significant ramifications, among them a difference in how the two investigative traditions may regard consciousness. For biology, consciousness is a secondary issue since it is characteristic of a subset of living organisms rather than of all of life. In Buddhism, since the definition of ‘living’ refers to sentient beings, consciousness is the primary characteristic of ‘life’”. This division between sentience and non-sentience is so important for Buddhism because of its focus on happiness and alleviation of suffering for all sentient beings, a topic that was the subject of a separate session at the conference.
The conference was organized in cooperation with the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamshala and included participation and presentations by a number of outstanding Buddhist scholars on issues of consciousness, as well as a meeting and conversation between the conference participants and the Dalai Lama.
SPEAKERS
- Konstantin AnokhinInstitute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Pavel BalabanInstitute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Jonathan BirchDepartment of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, London School of Economics, London, UK
- Paco CalvoMinimal Intelligence Laboratory, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Lars ChittkaResearch Centre for Psychology, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
- Martin GiurfaInstitute of Biology Paris Seine, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
- Alison HansonDepartment of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, USA
- Nicholas HumphreyLondon School of Economics, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, London, UK
- Eva JablonkaTel Aviv University, Emeritus in History and Philosophy of Science Inst., Tel Aviv, Israel
- Masanori KohdaGraduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
- Geshe LhakdorDirector, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamshal, India
- Jennifer MatherPsychology Department, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
- Bjorn MerkerIndependent Researcher, Kristianstad, Sweden
- Andreas NiederInstitute of Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Geshe Ngawang NorbuSera Jey Monastery, Supervisor of the Russian Science and Research Center in Bylakuppe, India
- Geshe Lobsang SangpoGanden Jangtse Monastery, Supervisor of the Russian Science
and Research Center in Mundgod, India - Anindya SinhaAnimal Behaviour and Cognition Programme, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
- Thomas SuddendorfSchool of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Geshe ThabkheSera Jey Monastery, Director of Sera Jey Education Department, India
- Michael TyeDepartment of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
- Walter VeitDepartment of Philosophy, University of Reading, Reading, UK
SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZER
- Konstantin Anokhin
Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Moscow
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
- Konstantin Anokhin
Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Moscow
- Yulia ZhironkinaDirector, “Cat of the Wind” Foundation for Humane and Responsible Attitude Towards Animals, Moscow
- Natasha InozemtsevaDeputy Director, “Cat of the Wind” Foundation for Humane and Responsible Attitude Towards Animals, Moscow
- Telo Tulku Rinpoche
Honorable Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Russia, Mongolia and CIS countries, Ulan-Bator
- Geshe LhakdorLibrary of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, India
PROGRAMME
“Background for Animal Consciousness”
10:00 – 19:00 Arrivals, registration
19:00 – 21:00 Welcome Dinner
19:00 – 21:00 Welcome Dinner
08:00 – 9:00 Meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama
11:00 – 12:30 Excursion at the Namgyal Monastery, the main Temple of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
15:00 – 15:30 Opening of the Conference
SESSION 1
Consciousness in the Buddhist Science
15:30 – 17:00
Introduction to Buddhist understanding of consciousness
Geshe Lhakdor, Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamshala, India
Mind and mental factors in the Buddhist philosophy
Geshe Ngawang Norbu,
Sera Jey Monastery, India
Geshe Thabkhe,
Sera Jey, Director of Sera Jey Education Department, India
Consciousness from the perspective of sutra and tantra
Geshe Lobsang Sangpo,
Ganden Jangtse Monastery, Supervisor of the Russian Science and Research Center in Mundgod, India
17:00 – 18:00 General Discussion Session – Consciousness in the Buddhist Science
19:00 – 21:00 Conference Opening Dinner
11:00 – 12:30 Excursion at the Namgyal Monastery, the main Temple of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
15:00 – 15:30 Opening of the Conference
SESSION 1
Consciousness in the Buddhist Science
15:30 – 17:00
Introduction to Buddhist understanding of consciousness
Geshe Lhakdor, Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamshala, India
Mind and mental factors in the Buddhist philosophy
Geshe Ngawang Norbu,
Sera Jey Monastery, India
Geshe Thabkhe,
Sera Jey, Director of Sera Jey Education Department, India
Consciousness from the perspective of sutra and tantra
Geshe Lobsang Sangpo,
Ganden Jangtse Monastery, Supervisor of the Russian Science and Research Center in Mundgod, India
17:00 – 18:00 General Discussion Session – Consciousness in the Buddhist Science
19:00 – 21:00 Conference Opening Dinner
SESSION 2
Animal Consciousness: Cases and Boundaries
09:30 – 10:10 To be conscious or not to be, that is the question
Anindya Sinha
National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
10:10 – 10:50 A bird's eye view on consciousness
Andreas Nieder
Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
10:50 – 11:10 Coffee Break.
11:10 – 11:50 Vilakkathala Binoy
National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
11:50 – 12:30 Looking for mental states in Cephalopods
Jennifer Mather
Psychology Department, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada.
12:30 – 13:10 Sentience in decapod crustaceans
Jonathan Birch
London School of Economics, Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, London, UK
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch
15:00 – 15:40 The mind of a bee
Lars Chittka
Research Centre for Psychology, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
15:40 – 16:20 Cognitive processing – and consciousness? – in an insect brain
Martin Giurfa
Centre de Biologie Integrative, Université Paul Sabatier of Toulouse CNRS, Toulouse, France
16:20 – 16:40 Coffee Break.
16:40 – 17:20 A biological basis of the self
Alison Hanson
Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, USA.
17:20 – 18:00 Planta sapiens and Homo stupidus (or ways to swallow our animal pride)
Paco Calvo
Minimal Intelligence Laboratory, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
18:30 – 19:30 Dinner
20:00 – 21:00 General Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Cases and Boundaries
Animal Consciousness: Cases and Boundaries
09:30 – 10:10 To be conscious or not to be, that is the question
Anindya Sinha
National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
10:10 – 10:50 A bird's eye view on consciousness
Andreas Nieder
Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
10:50 – 11:10 Coffee Break.
11:10 – 11:50 Vilakkathala Binoy
National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
11:50 – 12:30 Looking for mental states in Cephalopods
Jennifer Mather
Psychology Department, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada.
12:30 – 13:10 Sentience in decapod crustaceans
Jonathan Birch
London School of Economics, Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, London, UK
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch
15:00 – 15:40 The mind of a bee
Lars Chittka
Research Centre for Psychology, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
15:40 – 16:20 Cognitive processing – and consciousness? – in an insect brain
Martin Giurfa
Centre de Biologie Integrative, Université Paul Sabatier of Toulouse CNRS, Toulouse, France
16:20 – 16:40 Coffee Break.
16:40 – 17:20 A biological basis of the self
Alison Hanson
Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, USA.
17:20 – 18:00 Planta sapiens and Homo stupidus (or ways to swallow our animal pride)
Paco Calvo
Minimal Intelligence Laboratory, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
18:30 – 19:30 Dinner
20:00 – 21:00 General Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Cases and Boundaries
SESSION 3
Animal Consciousness: Concepts and Theories
09:30 – 10:10 Evolving sentience
Nicholas Humphrey
London School of Economics, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, London, UK
10:10 – 10:50 The evolutionary origins of sentience
Eva Jablonka
Tel Aviv University, Emeritus in History and Philosophy of Science Inst., Tel Aviv, Israel
10:50 – 11:10 Coffee Break
11:10 – 11:50 Evolution and consciousness
Walter Veit
Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
11:50 – 12:30 Bounding the topic of animal consciousness with necessary distinctions
Björn Merker
Independent scholar, Kristianstad, Sweden
12:30 – 13:10 The emergence of consciousness: completing the Darwin’s program
Konstantin Anokhin
Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch
15:00 – 18:00 Speakers Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Concepts and Theories
18:30 – 19:30 Dinner
20:00 – 21:00 General Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Concepts and Theories
Animal Consciousness: Concepts and Theories
09:30 – 10:10 Evolving sentience
Nicholas Humphrey
London School of Economics, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, London, UK
10:10 – 10:50 The evolutionary origins of sentience
Eva Jablonka
Tel Aviv University, Emeritus in History and Philosophy of Science Inst., Tel Aviv, Israel
10:50 – 11:10 Coffee Break
11:10 – 11:50 Evolution and consciousness
Walter Veit
Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
11:50 – 12:30 Bounding the topic of animal consciousness with necessary distinctions
Björn Merker
Independent scholar, Kristianstad, Sweden
12:30 – 13:10 The emergence of consciousness: completing the Darwin’s program
Konstantin Anokhin
Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch
15:00 – 18:00 Speakers Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Concepts and Theories
18:30 – 19:30 Dinner
20:00 – 21:00 General Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Concepts and Theories
SESSION 4
Animal Consciousness: Features and Criteria
09:30 – 10:10 The Invention of tommorow
Thomas Suddendorf
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
10:10 – 10:50 Animal consciousness: features and criteria
Michael Tye
Department of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
10:50 – 11:10 Coffee Break
11:10 – 11:50 Self-pleasuring snails: cognitive consciousness or animal sentience?
Pavel Balaban
Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, RAS, Moscow, Russia
11:50 – 12:30 Cleaner fish identify themselves via self-face recognition like humans: What does this mean?
Masanori Kohda
Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch
15:00 – 18:00 Speakers Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Features and Criteria
18:30 – 19:30 Dinner
20:00 – 21:00 General Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Features and Criteria
Animal Consciousness: Features and Criteria
09:30 – 10:10 The Invention of tommorow
Thomas Suddendorf
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
10:10 – 10:50 Animal consciousness: features and criteria
Michael Tye
Department of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
10:50 – 11:10 Coffee Break
11:10 – 11:50 Self-pleasuring snails: cognitive consciousness or animal sentience?
Pavel Balaban
Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, RAS, Moscow, Russia
11:50 – 12:30 Cleaner fish identify themselves via self-face recognition like humans: What does this mean?
Masanori Kohda
Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch
15:00 – 18:00 Speakers Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Features and Criteria
18:30 – 19:30 Dinner
20:00 – 21:00 General Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Features and Criteria
SESSION 5
Animal Consciousness: Ethics and Policy
09:00 – 10:00 Transfer to the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
10:00 – 12:00 Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Ethics and Policy
12:00 – 13:00 Excursion at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 16:00 Speakers Discussion Session – Setting program and plans for the future
16:00 – 17:30 Excursion at the Gyuto monastery
17:30 – 18:30 Excursion at the Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture
19:00 – 21:00 Conference Closing Dinner
Animal Consciousness: Ethics and Policy
09:00 – 10:00 Transfer to the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
10:00 – 12:00 Discussion Session – Animal Consciousness: Ethics and Policy
12:00 – 13:00 Excursion at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 16:00 Speakers Discussion Session – Setting program and plans for the future
16:00 – 17:30 Excursion at the Gyuto monastery
17:30 – 18:30 Excursion at the Norbulingka Institute of Tibetan Culture
19:00 – 21:00 Conference Closing Dinner
Departures
LOCATION
Hotel Norbu House
68MG+PHR, Club House Road, Thardhol Ling Rd, McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala
Tel: +91 97364 82887
hotelnorbuhouse@gmail.com
Hotel Norbu House is situated on a quiet path on the ridge facing the Dalai Lama’s temple and the stunning views which stretch for over 80 kilometres down the valley. The location is perfect for meditation and for those who ideally require peace and quiet during their stay, as it is away from all the noise of the traffic and the busy Temple Road, yet is still only 5 minutes walk to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s temple.
CONTACTS
- Mrs. Yulia Zhironkina
Email: yz@anyminds.org
“Cat of the Wind” Foundation for Humane and Responsible Attitude Towards Animals, Moscow
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