New Scientist recommends a smart new account of human exceptionalism

Michael Bond’s book *Animate: How animals shape the human mind* explores the origins and consequences of human exceptionalism—the belief that humans are fundamentally different from other animals. Bond argues that humans evolved alongside animals and were once deeply connected to them, a relationship vividly reflected in ancient cave art from sites like Lascaux, France. These early depictions focused on animals as living beings with emotional and physical presence, while human figures were rare and understated, suggesting a blurred boundary between humans and animals in prehistoric times. The book traces a significant shift during the Neolithic period when humans began to distance themselves from animals, both conceptually and practically. Animal representations became more abstract and utilitarian, appearing on pottery and other artifacts as decorative motifs rather than as living creatures. This period also marked the start of animal domestication and exploitation, establishing a clear divide between humans and animals. Bond highlights how this separation was reinforced culturally and morally, with animals becoming symbols or commodities rather than kin. Bond situates this transformation within a broader philosophical and psychological context, referencing thinkers like Ernest Becker, who linked human exceptionalism to an acute awareness of mortality. Unlike animals, humans developed beliefs in immortality through souls or legacies, which shaped their self-perception and justified the exploitation of other species. This “great separation” allowed humans to construct comforting narratives but also led to profound ethical and ecological consequences, including widespread harm to non-human life. *Animate* challenges readers to reconsider the entrenched divide between humans and animals, suggesting that recognizing our shared nature could reshape how we understand ourselves and our place in the natural world. Bond’s work offers a compelling blend of history, anthropology, and philosophy, encouraging a more integrated view of human identity and its impact on the environment.