From depressed polar bears to charismatic pandas, conservationists have used anthropomorphism, or the practice of attributing human qualities to non-human subjects, to garner public support for conservation efforts.
There is a complementary cognitive bias to anthropomorphism, where we elevate ourselves to entirely different mental planes from other organisms, beyond what science and basic observation can support. I don’t know if this bias has a name. Human supremacy? Hubris?
There is a complementary cognitive bias to anthropomorphism, where we elevate ourselves to entirely different mental planes from other organisms, beyond what science and basic observation can support. I don’t know if this bias has a name. Human supremacy? Hubris?