I see my mistake. A creature IN-capable of thought (…) doesn’t have any, making his incapacity for comparing them with anything, moot.

I say empathy predates theory of mind by many millennia. — Vera Mont

The origins of both theory of mind and empathy go back about 5-6 million years ago.

"Homo sapiens" translates to "wise man"

The species Homo sapiens dates back about 200,000 years ago.

We're also very big on wishful thinking. — Vera Mont

That's true.

How do you know that non-human animals don't have a theory of mind? — Ludwig V

The scientific research into nonhuman animals’ theory of mind (ToM) goes back decades and there is no consensus. But do I think a dog can interpret and make inferences about human thought? No.

How do you know that other people have a theory of mind? — Ludwig V

I am human and I can make inferences into what is in another mind. The key word is inference.

We do not just perceive – we perceive and interpret. the mental states of others.

Besides empathy, things like collaboration, education, and figuring out our social standing, rely on our theory of mind.

Since the theory of mind is posited as an essential prerequisite of empathy, it seems to follow that if somone (human) can interact appropriately with other people, they have a theory of mind. — Ludwig V

Every time you form a conclusion about what is in the mind of another (whether it is correct or not) you are using your ToM capacity.

So, if some non-human animals can interact appropriately with various other animals, including human animals, does it not follow that they have a theory of mind? — Ludwig V

Not necessarily. Interacting is not the same as interpreting mental states.

In practice, these supposed different alternatives come down to the same process. There is no way to read a mind except by reading behaviour. — Ludwig V

But not all reading of behavior involves ToM.

When you read a book, is the end goal to see the symbols on the page, or to make meaning out of them?