The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness

In your opinion, what are the ethical issues involved in humans eating animals (of all kinds)? Does it matter if the animals possess consciousness and/or a soul? Explain why or why not.

In the book, octopuses seem to provide emotional support to some of their human keepers. Research the kinds of animals usually involved in formal emotional support programs. What are the requirements for an animal to be included? How does the emotional support work? Be sure to include both psychological and physiological elements. 

What are the pros and cons of keeping animals in aquariums and zoos? If they possess consciousness and/or a soul, can a case still be made for having them spend their lives in confinement? The book deals with this in various places, but see especially Chapter 8, in the passages regarding moving Octavia out of her tank.

Montgomery provides many description to show how different octopuses are from vertebrates such as ourselves. This contributes in part to the fact that they are perceived as strange or dangerous, as discussed in Chapter 1. How does this affect conservation measures for animals like octopuses, as compared to animals that are either similar to humans, like chimpanzees, or those considered “cute,” such as pandas? How does this book help to overcome such issues?

In Chapter 1, Montgomery writes, “Skeptics are right to point out that it’s easy to misunderstand animals, even those most like ourselves” (12). She then gives an example of a volunteer who tried to give an orangutan a hug and ended up getting slammed to the ground. Assigning human attributes to animals is called “anthropomorphizing.” Much of the book is about Montgomery providing evidence for octopuses having consciousness, personalities, and even emotions. Do you think Montgomery crosses the line into anthropomorphizing octopuses?Why, or why not? Be sure to give examples from the book to support your opinion.

From the start of the book, Montgomery refers to octopuses as “the Other.” Yet she goes on to make them accessible to readers and to arouse readers’ empathy toward them. How does she do the same for the human characters in the book who may be described as outsiders? Identify at least three people who you think fit this description, explain why they do, and show how Montgomery brings readers to empathize with them and dispel this “outsider” label.

The four octopuses at the New England Aquarium that Montgomery describes in the book are all giant Pacific octopuses. Choose another species of octopus to compare them to. What are their similarities and differences? How might their differences be explained by environmental and other factors?

In Chapter 2, Montgomery explains that because Octavia had spent more of her life in the wild, she had learned to use camouflage to an extent that the aquarium’s other octopuses—who had arrived as young pups—had not. What are the ways that octopuses camouflage themselves, and how do they learn to do so? Can any other animals match them in this ability? How might they “see” with their skin (see Page 50)? Include this possibility in your discussion.