 Before we begin, we should point out two potential obstacles with this project. It’s important to note that the use of animal cognition research in philosophy must be handled carefully, given the methodological considerations discussed in  section 2.  Sometimes philosophers seek to show that animals have a property because they have a capacity, but the way the capacity was operationalized in the study is different from how the philosopher understands it. While many of the terms used in comparative cognition are familiar, they may be defined differently, which can lead to confusion and misunderstanding.