- Sid Tafler
- Victoria British Columbia
- Canada
This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »
Which attribute most makes humans different than all other life forms on earth?
Humans are the dominant species on earth. Or to put it more humbly, perhaps we are the species that has more impact on the planet, good and bad, than any other.
So which single attribute had made us more fundamentally different from all others over the last few hundred thousand years?
Is it our ability to make and control fire? Our legendary opposable thumbs? Our ability to communicate? Our social connections with other humans, or our spiritual explorations? Or some other factor?
Perhaps in your response you will demonstrate the attribute you chose by example.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
James Turner 10+
Gerald O'brian 50+
Chris Kelly 20+
Gerald O'brian 50+
Chris Kelly 20+
Adriaan Braam 20+
Humans have rationality and freedom, so we can call something evil, good, or something true, fals.
Animals have no civil or moral laws, only instinct. That's also why at birth they practically know all there is to know for them. With babies this is slightly different (for some :)
Obey No1kinobe 50+
Human morality is an extension of the this.
Much more complex and nuanced, now more than ever given complex societies rules and laws. Apes miss their dead, get depressed, show empathy, hunt together, have authority structures.
Go back 10,000 or 50,000 years, or even to the hunter gatherer cultures, the laws and morality were simpler to maintain peace.
Is it the same as animals no. But neither is our tool use, our language ability. While we share a lot with animals - our instincts are still strong with have more complex social dynamics and greater ability to think ahead. Just as a dog has more emotions and cognative ability than a fish
Our ancestors have been living in groups longer than homo sapiens existed. Much of our drive to conform, to accept heirachies, to be tribal, is to promote social harmony and reflected in our modern morality.
Chris Kelly 20+
Helen Hupe 30+
Gerald O'brian 50+
Are they aware that they'll someday die, I don't think so... And I don't think it's relevant.
I was taught that consciousness came from the knowledge of one's own mortality, like you. And like you, I was taught that morality was derived from this consciousness.
But this can't be, when you think about how all of it had to evolve. It's perfect for a creationist model, however.
When you study other apes, it becomes obvious how little human consciousness has to do with how we behave in our societies. Read Frans De Waal, Desmond Morris and Robert M. Sapolsky for wonderful information about primates.
Helen Hupe 30+
I'll read your suggested authors and get back to you. (:>)
For the record I am not a creationist.
Gerald O'brian 50+
Helen Hupe 30+
Obey No1kinobe 50+
Ours are just more complex reflecting our more complex brain and society.
Our complex morality evolved with us as we evolved.
8 million years ago it would have been similar to other primates.
200 million years ago it would have been similar to the early mammals.
500 million years ago maybe similar to the early vertibrates
Chris Kelly 20+
Obey No1kinobe 50+
We are animals, primates to be more precise and we have human morality.
Other animals do not have human morality. They don't have religions or television, but they do have acceptable and non acceptable group behaviour norms.
Adriaan Braam 20+
No animal can believe truth and then change his/her mind. No animal can start a democratic governing body and subject to it. Look at birds at a birds feeder, do they decide to love each other and offer them food?? No lion can become friends with a lamb, it is totally against their instinct.
Obey No1kinobe 50+
Chris Kelly 20+
This is the only part of your comment that is valid, as "acceptable and non acceptable group behavior" is not about morality.
MORALS are resultant of conscience.
When an animal kills, it acts from instinct alone. It doesn't pray over its prey. It isn't judged as a murderer because animals, unlike human beings, do not have free will. They do not have choice. They exhibit intelligence but are not driven by it as they are instinctual, not intellectual.
Really pathetic that this is even an argument
Gerald O'brian 50+
Why the heck do you think humans pray over their prey? You think it's because we feel sorry for the animal? Or is it that we have superstitions that associate thankfullness to the rebirth of our food? Anyway. About morality...
It's obvious to anyone with Discovery Channel that baboons, for instance, have very strict codes of conduct that come with a sharp consciousness of what is right and what is wrong. I don't know how human morality would look any different from baboon morality, except for the fact that we rationalise about it.
We also rationalise about our sexual attraction to opposite sex. Nonetheless, people have sex all the time.
Our sense of right and wrong has been claimed by religions, or by philosophies. But the truth is that every human is born with this social animal software that you call morality.
Some societies may bend it around, to serve parochial purposes, but the basis is biological. That we dislike confrontation is inborn. That we dislike dishonnesty is inborn. That we enjoy the social rewards that go with being a nice guy is inborn...
What about morals could possibly be the result of conscience?
You're thinking upside down. How about love? Does love come from conscience? How about feeling hungry?
Really pathetic that this is even an argument.
Some people still believe that humans are not animals, I guess. There is a lot going on in that 2% of genetic info that differenciates us from other apes : supernatural genes?
Obey No1kinobe 50+
So you don't believe humans are vertebrates?
Or mammals?
Or primates?
Or animals?
Its bizarre if you can not admit humans are animals.
Have you never noticed the similarities between humans and other animals?
Just look at your pet dog - similar eyes, hearing, teeth, 4 limbs, reproduction, breast feeding, bones, muscles, immune system, nervous system, organs, oxygen breathing, C, H, O based lifeform. Are we dogs - no. Are dogs Chimpanzees - no. Are we mammals - yes.
The root cause of what makes us different from other animals is our amazing brain.
This is responsible for our self awareness, tool use, language, concept of time, complex culture and technology, and our morality.
You probably don't agree with evolution. Even the Catholic church accepts evolution.
Chris Kelly 20+
Ever heard of a dictionary?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/moral
Some people believe that humans are not spiritual beings. These people might benefit from understanding the origin of the word "human" which is a compound word from the Sanskrit "Hu" meaning (breath of) God and 'man' from 'manas' meaning mind.
In nature there are many kingdoms; on Earth we have the mineral, plant, animal and human kingdoms. There's a reason human beings are a 'kingdom' of their own.
Of course we all have instinct, but not all of us are ruled by it. A more advanced human being is one who uses their intellect and will to control their instinct.
If you relate to your animalistic nature above your spiritual nature, then surely you rely more on your instincts, as your spiritual mind is not awakened.
A more spiritually advanced human being is one who controls both their instinct AND their intellect.
Compared to your thinking, it's a good thing for me that you consider mine to be upside down because from what I've seen of your comments, I wouldn't want my comments to be on par with one who only relates to the animalistic side of his nature.
Peace, out.
.
Obey No1kinobe 50+
We'll have to disagree if you don't see homo sapiens as a subset of animals.
Although you mention we have some degree of animalistic nature.
We are animals with amazing brains that evolved over millions of years.
I agree that we have a far greater ability for reason, but still have instincts. We are not slaves to instinct, but perhaps you underestimate or are unaware of the extent and power of these instincts. Our instincts drive us to pleasure and avoiding pain.
Over eating is an instinctual drive. Eating less and more healthy and getting out to exercise is an act of reason.
The drive to have children, to protect your offspring is instinct. On top of that we have hopes that our children will prosper and lead good lives.
I'm an extremely "spiritual" person, who no longer confuses our amazing consciousness for an imaginary spirit. That accepts we are a very special animal. That cares about humans and the rest of nature.
You are exaggerating the comment that relates to instinct - we have instinct and reason.
I'm just saying we are animals. We evolved. We didn't always have the sophisticated morality we have now. I mean we didn't even have the ability for language to decribe our morals, but our anscestors have worked in groups from before we mastered fire, could speak, make tools etc.
I'm saying our morality is simply a progression our the group dynamics we see in other animals. Our tool use is a progression of what we see in other animals, or our hominid ancestors.
Our minds is what makes us special. Until these evolved we didn't even have the capacity to entertain the kind of spiritual concept to which you allude. These minds have helped us understand the universe, our place in it, and ourselves via science and reason. Some still choose to accept pre scientific views. Yet you imply we are the less spiritually developed.
I can understand the ancients believing as you do. Perhaps you might reflect on where the ignorance or delusion lies.
Gerald O'brian 50+
It's very old fashioned to believe that instincts only have to do with sex and food.
I love my kids out of instinct. But that's because I don't have a soul. Arrest my case.
Adriaan Braam 20+
You seem to see and evaluate just about every human behaviour as a reason to think we have an instinct. When there is a choice, there is no instinct. To lower human behaviour and classify it as instinct is not based on fact.
Are there similarities? Yes there certainly are but they are all on the physical, natural level. Our bodies have been made totally of earthly material. Some to the point that we can transplant an organ from an animal to a human.
We have reason and freedom of thought. We can change what we like and what we want. We can reason and meditate and 'know' we have a spiritual connection. I wrote 'know' because we, as humans can discard and ignore all mental activity and see it as instinct. Animals cannot do that.
We can pretend to be good, animals cannot pretend.
We can have a good time with humour, animals have no sense of humour.
As I said before, as humans we have the option to believe truth for truth's sake and do good for the sake of good. That means we can love others to the point of even loving our enemies. Again, animals cannot do that.
What I suspect is what make it hard for some to see the difference between animals and people is that each animal has been created to portray a human trait. A person can be said being a fox, or strong as a lion. What makes it worse is that some people can be worse than animals.
Animals can not do evil, that's part of the reason you'll never see one in jail. Another reason is that animals wouldn't learn from jail time either. If they would learn and change we'd have a lot less road kill too.
And my last, and most important, point is that we are here for a spiritual reason. We are here to change our human habit of being selfish to becoming a loving human being. We are here to decide we see the light, and then go from 'Egypt' to 'Canaan'.
That's another difference, animals are here for this world. We are here for the next.
Mary M. 100+