I guess I'm not very articulate today, but this pisses me off to no end Especially in the context of community and political organizing or just engaging with society, I feel like there are so many naysayers and otherwise apathetic people who let horrible stuff happen with this detached or even cynical "humans are just animals" aka "that's just the way things are".
I just want to shake these people by the shoulders and say, "Snap out of it! You live HERE in the REAL WORLD. People have BRAINS, we have an economy based on COMMERCE and LABOR and MONEY. We have LANGUAGE and HIGHER FUNCTIONING INTELLIGENCE. Get over it and please join us in the 21st century."
Okay, okay, I'm in a cranky mood. And this rant isn't directed at the OP, but these kind of arguments or focus on the philosophical nature of humanity really does remind me of how they are so often related (IMHO) to apathy, cynicism, and really people who knowingly or not, get in the way of engaged citizens who are trying to work with the practical tools in society -- laws, legislature, electoral government, lobbying, etc. to IMPROVE society ergo humanity ergo help use rise further from pure base animal instincts and simplified excuses.
I think the point of civilization is to rise out of any need or justification to live just like animals.
