Animal minds fron the historical perspective Voltaire: criticized descartes view that humans but not animals have souls and hence minds, by suggesting that there is no evidence for the claim Hume: was downright dismissive of the animal mind skeptics when he wrote Next to the ridicule of denying an evident truth, is that of taking much pains to defend it and no truth appears to me more evident than that beasts are endowed with thought and reason as well as man The arguments are in this case so obvious, that they never escape the most stupid and ignorantAnimal Minds from the historical perspective :  Voltaire: criticized Descartes' view that humans but not animals have souls and hence minds, by suggesting that there is no evidence for the claim.  Hume: was downright dismissive of the animal mind skeptics when he wrote “Next to the ridicule of denying an evident truth, is that of taking much pains to defend it; and no truth appears to me more evident than that beasts are endowed with thought and reason as well as man. The arguments are in this case so obvious, that they never escape the most stupid and ignorant