The inner world of dogs is far deeper than we realize

Chew on this: A dog’s life — even if that means joyfully and endlessly chasing squirrels — is more meaningful than a dog owner’s life, asserts Mark Rowlands, professor, and chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Miami, in his latest meditation on the inherent happiness of our canine companions.“A dog loves his life with everything he has because it is all he has,” writes Rowlands, in “The Word of Dog: What Our Canine Companions Can Teach Us About Living a Good Life” (Liveright/Norton). Rowlands, whose previous book was “The Philosophy of the Wolf,” offers not so much revelations of the inner workings of our faithful companions, but a philosophical message on how we can live a more fulfilling life inspired by the unselfish joy dogs experience — even in repetitive tasks such as chasing a ball.The lesson to be learned from dogs in the professor’s deep dive is the love of life and the action a dog experiences in his uncomplicated life.According to Rowlands, “Dogs love their lives more than we love ours.

That is why their lives are more meaningful than ours.”It’s clear in this 249-word treatise that one could benefit from a crash course in Philosophy 101 to comprehend some of the author’s thinking.And, fair warning, there are no cuddling puppy tales, or tips on how to interpret answers to typical canine owner’s questions such as whether their dog really loves them, or whether their four-legged companion is really happy.Instead, Rowlands leans on the deep and dour philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre to answer those questions, and to decipher the unspoken wisdom dogs exhibit.Rowlands, who himself is a serial dog owner and had for more than a decade actually lived with a wolf, maintains that a dog can experience more joy than a human because man’s best friend is not burdened by what Sartre referred to as “reflective self-awareness,” which the author contends can cripple man. He proffers that dogs have no capacity for ...