Paper short abstract:

The paper examines the emergence of octopuses’ consciousness as an object of scientific and philosophical inquiry. By exploring cephalopods science from nineteenth-century anatomy to contemporary neurology, it traces the conceptualization of ocean critters as having peculiar minds.

Paper long abstract:

In 2023, the United Nations launched a campaign urging member countries to ratify the High Seas Alliances treaty for ocean conservation. The campaign's poster features a large octopus, whose ink transforms into the ink with which UN countries sign the treaty. Octopuses, however, are not under significant risk of extinction. So, why select an animal that is not endangered to symbolize the treaty? This paper explains how the creatures which were vilified by nineteenth-century novelists turned into a symbol for alternative minds for twenty-first century policymakers.

Cephalopods (squids, cuttlefish, nautilus, and octopuses), where a subject of systematic study by European anatomists as early as the 1830s. With research aquariums still undeveloped, English readers had to consult tales by sea travellers to learn about cephalopods in action. These stories depicted violent encounters where giant cephalopods twisted their sleek arms around the human body, pulling it down to the depths of the ocean.

However, the perception of octopuses transformed throughout the twentieth century. Experimentation with living octopuses, pioneered by J. Z. Young, revealed their large neuronal structure and rapid tissue regeneration, making them excellent models for studying the nervous system. Explorations in neurobiology and behavioral studies provided new perspectives on the distinctive mental abilities of octopuses. By the onset of the twenty-first century, philosophers of mind tapped into the growing body of scientific evidence regarding octopuses' specialized intelligence and communication skills, making the octopus into a model animal that prompts a reevaluation of concepts related to consciousness and mind.