For people, death is an exceptional experience that most people rarely confront. Therefore, we often fail to understand “how common and trivial death is in the natural world.” This is one of the ideas of philosopher Susana Monsó, who in her book introduces us to comparative thanatology, i.e. the study of animals’ relationship to death.
Since we human animals often view ourselves as the center of being, we apply intellectually and emotionally anthropocentric standards to ideas about the concept of death – and thus deny other species a conscious perception of death. A mistake, as Monsó explains in seven surprisingly snappy chapters based on numerous observations and studies as well as his own findings and well-founded assumptions. Death is far more present, especially for wild animals, than it is for us. This can be seen, for example, in how they view and interpret the death of members of their own species or in how they mourn. How clearly social animals in particular can recognize the irreversible non-functionality of corpses and even causality or how they “learn” death through intra- and interspecific violence: Cognitive abilities are undoubtedly inherent in non-human animals.
Despite some repetition, Susana Monsó focuses on the essentials. She writes in an accessible way and guarantees broadening of horizons. Alexander Schramm
Susana Monsó
The silence of the chimpanzees
Insel Verlag, 254 pages, € 28,–
ISBN 978-3-458-64553-5