The Institute for Animals in Philosophy and Science - IAPS is the company of psychologist and philosopher dr. Esteban Rivas. For several years, Rivas has been giving lectures and courses about animals in philosophy and science under the old name of his company, Esteban Rivas Productions. Unsatisfied with this name, he set up the Institute for Animals in Philosophy and Science in January 2013, because this new name covers the activities that he organizes in a much better way. He had also been looking for a good name for his company in order to work together with other institutes, organizations, and individuals. Besides the lectures and courses that will be given by dr. Rivas himself, the institute will also organize lectures and other events at which other scientists and philosophers will speak. In Dutch the institute's name is translated as Instituut voor Dieren in Filosofie en Wetenschap - IDFW. The IAPS is an independent organization, not connected to or affiliated with any other organization. Activities:
The Institute for Animals in Philosophy and Science - IAPS organizes lectures, seminars and courses about animals in philosophy and science, in its broadest sense. Within science the institute focuses on the following subjects:
- the intelligence or cognition of animals.
- the emotions or emotional life of animals.
- the consciousness or subjective experience of animals. Within philosophy the institute focuses on the following subjects:
- animal ethics: how should humans relate to other animals?
- philosophical anthropology: what does our current and developing knowledge about humans and other animals imply for our ideas about what it is to be human? All of them! The IAPS will offer lectures, seminars and courses about all possible animal species. Examples of subjects are:
- Language research with great apes, dolphins, sealions, parrots and dogs.
- The intelligence of corvids and other birds.
- The intelligence of great apes.
- The intelligence of dolphins and other marine mammals.
- The intelligence of dogs and cats.
- The question of animal consciousness.
- The emotional lives of animals.
- Pain and emotions in invertebrate animals? Target audience. Anyone who is interested in how science and philosophy think about animals, and the way in which that thinking is developing. A specific education is usually not necessary to attend the lectures and courses. For each event it will be mentioned if a specific education is necessary or not. Voor Nederlandstalige informatie over het Instituut voor Dieren in Filosofie en Wetenschap volg het Nederlandstalige blog: http://diereninfilosofieenwetenschap.wordpress.com
