Venue: LUX, Nijmegen
This programme is in English.
What is it like to be a plant? Can plants exhibit intelligent behaviour even though they have no brain? Can plants suffer pain? And do they perhaps even have a form of consciousness? Should we radically rethink our view of plants? Come learn from philosopher Paco Calvo, author of Planta Sapiens, about the remarkable world of plant intelligence.
What is it like to be a plant?
Plants don’t have brains, no neurons, but according to philosopher Paco Calvo, plants still are intelligent. Instead of seeing them as passive organisms, he argues that plants can surprisingly well learn, adapt and even plan ahead. In doing so, Calvo breaks with the idea that intelligence can only be found in animals or humans. So what exactly is intelligence? What forms of intelligence do plants actually exhibit?
But it doesn't stop there. Paco Calvo even suggests that plants may have their own unique experience of the world. It sounds strange, but according to him, we should seriously consider the possibility. If plants experience stress, can suffer and even have some kind of consciousness, what does that mean for our dealings with them? Should we treat the crops we grow for food not just as products, but as sentient beings entitled to a good life?
What plants teach us about ourselves
What can we learn about ourselves, about intelligence and about consciousness, by looking at plants? Research into the cleverness of plants challenges our preconceptions about consciousness and intelligence. If plants turn out to be so intelligent, without a brain or nerve system, what does that say about our own conceptions of what is ‘smart’? Are we able to see beyond our human limitations and truly understand the world of plants? Or do we remain trapped in the idea that intelligence is only about neurons and brains? In short: are we smart enough to know how smart plants are?
After his lecture Paco Calvo will discuss plant intelligence with philosopher of animal minds Bas van Woerkum-Rooker.
This programme is in English.
About the speaker
is a cognitive scientist and philosopher at the University of Marcia in Spain. He directs the Minimal Intelligence Lab (MINT Lab), which focuses on the study of cognition in plants. In his work, he combines biology, cognitive science and philosophy. He is the author of the book
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