 This raises an interesting question about whether there is a motivated and principled difference between concepts in humans and mere representations in animals (Laurence &amp; Margolis 2012). Philosophers who maintain that there is such a difference often cite the role of concepts in reasoning. For example, Robert Brandom claims that representations in animals do little more than act as reliable mechanisms of discrimination. These representations are supposed to be like thermometers, responding to specific environmental features yet without entering into appropriate inferential processes. However, it’s not clear what counts as an appropriate inferential process, and certainly there is room for differing opinions on this point. Moreover, whatever reasoning amounts to, comparative psychology is replete with examples that suggest that animals are capable of far more than reliable detection. Animals may not be as smart as humans, but that doesn’t mean they are as dumb as thermometers (see Hurley &amp; Nudds 2006 and Carruthers 2006 on reasoning in animals).