The mental gap
The innumerable physical attributes that are common to both monkeys and humans cannot be rejected. But no matter how alike monkeys and humans may be a mental gap still exists between these two related yet distinct creatures. This chapter seeks to evaluate the nature of the gap between the human mind and their nearest living relatives, the monkeys. In line with this, humans and monkeys — specifically, chimpanzees and macaques — were compared based on the following capacities: consciousness, mental imagery, recollection, inner speech and reflective awareness, willed action, language, and comprehension of mental states. The results of these comparisons are presented in this chapter as well as frequent references to related studies and experiments which have been deemed to be of relevance to the issue at hand.
Keywords: humans, chimpanzees, macaques, mental gap, consciousness, mental imagery, recollection, inner speech, reflective awareness, willed action, language
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