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Zman Kietilipooskie

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Debate: Are humans better than other forms of life?

Many people think that something called respect applies to all forms of life; on the other hands humans are essentially above other animals is the sense of intelligence and culture. Because of our mental superiority it is ethical for animals to be farmed and mistreated, animals treated by the standards human would receive as punishment for murder and other horrendous acts.

Are Humans really superior to other forms of life?

Topics: philosophy society
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    Lejan . 30+

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    TED Translator
    Nov 29 2012: The essence of life is less noble than many people are willing to think, especially within the animal kingdom, in which the 'battle of the food chain' is a daily threat on lower ranks.

    As humans we are no better form of life, but due to our cleverness we made our way up the food chain and used the 'extra time' we gained by our efficiency to civilize ourselfs to a certain degree. By this 'civilization' we lost our direct connection to our origin, which caused us to become arrogant by 'superior' thinking.

    We lost our respect for the animals we keep for our food, as we reduce them to their purpose in our behalf and do not value their purpose in the whole picture. How many of us are still really greatful on thanksgiving and to its original idea? Probably just a view and for all others it is just another holiday and a day off.

    If we could regain respect to 'mother nature', we would compensate for some of the downsides of our civilisation. By this farming animals could become more respectful again to the 'beings' and therefore less in 'profit maximisation'.

    • Jason Huffman

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      Nov 29 2012: Interesting that you would bring up Thanksgiving as my mindset immediately went to the Native Americans who inhabited North America pre-colonialization. The had a great respect for the earth and her beings ad only took what they needed to survive, not wasting a scrap of any animal that they harvested in order to survive. If our society was less wasteful it would, therefore, be more profit oriented in that nothing is excluded as potential profit.

      Our aptitude and clever nature does make us innately "better" (I prefer more advanced) than our animal counterparts, but, as such, we should have the presence of thought to give respect to creatures beneath us in due process.
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        Lejan . 30+

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        TED Translator
        Nov 29 2012: I abolutely agree with your conclusion and I think it is no coincidence that Native Americans struggled immensely with our mindset - besides being dominated. Almost everywhere this 'western ideology' destroyed and blinded regional traditions or got banned only temporarily like it was in China.

        I wonder if we could make our 'peace' again with this planet by using our technological knowledge wisely. Yet so far 'wisdom' is no discipline taught at our schools and universities and our genaration has not much to 'hand over' to the ones following us. I think we have developed way to fast and at this pace our 'respect' just could not keep up with us anymore. Time will show if we are that 'more advanced' to rightly claim and name ourselfs 'Homo sapiens' - 'the wise man' ...

        • Barry Palmer 50+

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          Nov 30 2012: Lejan, "... I think it is no coincidence that Native Americans struggled immensely with our mindset ... "

          My only concern with this is the past tense. Many Native Americans still struggle to understand the Euro-American mindset. IMO, this is a good thing. I just wish we could all maintain a cooperative attitude in our mutual struggle to understand each other. Unfortunately, many "whites" are still intolerant of Natives.

          By the way, human hubris may be worse than you think. The species name for modern humans is Homo sapiens sapiens. Every time I think of it, I laugh.
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        Lejan . 30+

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        TED Translator
        Nov 30 2012: @ Barry Palmer

        Thank you for correcting me! You are absolutely right and I should not have used the past tense!

        I also agree with your opinion, as one of the only ways to reflect my own lifestyle is to see myself through the eyes of those who managed to be less influenced by our Euro-American mindset.

        Much of the wisdom of Native Americans and other native tribes to me is exemplary and reminds me on the true values of our existence, which 'we' traded many centuries ago.

        If 'Homo sapiens sapiens' is what modern humans are named today, there must be an mathematical exception then that + and + is not always positive in its result. So we laugh together. :o)

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