The question of alien minds is a tough one. What is the starting point? McFarland approaches it by considering what it means for a human to have a mind.
To this end, he looks at whether robots and animals have intentionality and beliefs, intelligence and autonomy. He considers each issue from several philosophical viewpoints but lets the reader decide what he or she thinks is best. He also uses examples of robots in action, looks at animal behavior and studies done with animals.
In the end, since we don't know what animals are or are not thinking, it may be impossible to decide if animals do have minds.
The title and subtitle are very attractive but the substance is lacking. He brings up some good questions and has some good thoughts but it was a slog when it didn't need to be and didn't provide enough insight. I was hoping for more from this book so I can't recommend it.
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