What Separates Humans From Animals?

[Sniffles]

Oh I'm sure there are and readily admit that not all my considerations consult logic. (To be honest with ya, I feel sorry for those who do )

But it's nice to receive feedback no?

Another point I'd like to make in regards to your reference to Buddhism and Hinduism and their teaching on emptying the mind or ego. This is true, and also parallels Jesus's call to become like children in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Now does that mean Jesus wants us to become like babies crying for our bottle or because we didn't receive the toy we wanted at Christmas? No, rather it's more about becoming humble but yet full of wonder and eagerness to learn anew about the truth. But to do this is to perform an act of the will, a free act of the will, which I would argue is another key attribute that distinguishes us from the animals, and also establishes our dominion in terms of spirit.

 

[5231311252]

Really? I'm pretty sure there are other people who don't view it that way.

I'm pretty sure there are other people who do view it that way.

For example, if someone were to say "I like bagels", I don't think they mean they like every single bagel in existence (how would they even know if they liked every single bagel in existence....?). I doubt they like bagels out of the garbage can It's not like people have to add the words "in general" to every sentence like this for other people to know what they mean. (Herp durp, they don't have to do anything, but they can. Some people aren't going to get what they mean regardless of how they word it.)

One can draw many conclusions from a statement like that, but in the end it matters not what you "doubt" and what you "don't think". You ask specific questions and they clarify, and the answer is something coming from them and not something you've concocted in your head.

If on your spectrum of good to bad, there is a neutral point, that is a different usage of neutral.

Courtesy of Google.

Things that are not able to be good or bad have no place on a good to bad spectrum.

According to you, the almighty appointee of le spectrum?

For example, if you were talking about hotness vs. coldness, it would make no sense to talk about an idea. You wouldn't say, "an idea is on the hot to cold spectrum, it's just right in the middle". It's totally nonsensical to compare an idea's hotness/coldness to a fire's hotness/coldness. You wouldn't say "a fire is generally hotter than an idea", and then later say an idea is neither hot nor cold, but still on the hot/cold spectrum.

....talk about nonsensical.

I've already provided you with multiple definitions of "in general", with "usually" being one of them. I've already stated that "usually" is what I intended and I've already stated that the problem I had was the claim of a statement I did not make. For me, if there ever was a debate it is over and these recent posts look like nothing more than twaddle. So what is your point (if you have one)?

 

[redacted]

[MENTION=10512]5231311252[/MENTION] - All I was wondering was how something that doesn't have the capacity to be good or bad can be compared in terms of good/bad to something that does have the capacity.

When you said "I for one do not believe animals to be bad or good; these are traits to be applied to humans", did you not mean that good and bad are labels we shouldn't apply to non-human animals? If so, my idea-on-the-hot/cold-spectrum analogy should explain my stance pretty well.

Have a good day.

 

[5231311252]

[MENTION=10512]5231311252[/MENTION] When you said "I for one do not believe animals to be bad or good; these are traits to be applied to humans", did you not mean that good and bad are labels we shouldn't apply to non-human animals?

No and have yourself a good day as well.

 

[Kraska]

It's commonly accepted that humans are different from/more valuable than other animals. But why is that? What is it about humanity that makes us any better or of any greater worth? Why do animals not have the same rights as people? I have my own ideas about this and my own reasons, but I want to know what you all think first. Are we better than animals, and if so, why?

I started to belive for some time now that we are far inferior to animals. Animals kills each other for survival but they live in a perfect balance. They have never sent each other to extinction. The human beings on the other side, although we have a logical mind able to manipulate eveything around us and make the difference between good and evil what have we done? We have killed each other for centuries destroing everything around us in the process. And for what? Out of greed and hate.

 

[iwakar]

Well I'm unsure. Did our ability to effectively communicate lead to complex ideas? Or did our complex ideas lead to our ability to effectively communicate? Or, did they develop in tandem?

 

[iwakar]

I started to belive for some time now that we are far inferior to animals. Animals kills each other for survival but they live in a perfect balance. They have never sent each other to extinction. The human beings on the other side, although we have a logical mind able to manipulate eveything around us and make the difference between good and evil what have we done? We have killed each other for centuries destroing everything around us in the process. And for what? Out of greed and hate.

I've shared this opinion before, but consciousness is a binding contract that we do not get to opt out of.

 

[Mole]

I started to belive for some time now that we are far inferior to animals. Animals kills each other for survival but they live in a perfect balance. They have never sent each other to extinction. The human beings on the other side, although we have a logical mind able to manipulate eveything around us and make the difference between good and evil what have we done? We have killed each other for centuries destroing everything around us in the process. And for what? Out of greed and hate.

Most animals that have ever existed are now extinct. And large multi-celled animals like us become extinct sooner rather than later. It has nothing to do with morality and everything to do with natural selection.

 

[Riva]

Are we better than animals, and if so, why?

Humans are probably more aware of themselves - know of it in a deeper level.

Therefore our reactions are less instinct and more thoughtful.

That's as much as philosophical as I could get.

Peguy prefers to memorize what others have thought, in case you had not noticed.

I finally noticed.

 

[Lark]

Human soul and consciousness, although consciousness fades, can be false etc. the soul is a constant.

 

[UniqueMixture]

There are lots of things separating humans from animals for example humans have spindle cells in their brains unlike most other animals (though it is not an exclusive trait) larger density of neurons in the cerebral cortex, etc. I think humans are different, but I do think some animals in particular cetaceans, elephants, the great apes, and grey parrots should be afforded some degree of personhood

 

[/DG/]

It's commonly accepted that humans are different from/more valuable than other animals. But why is that? What is it about humanity that makes us any better or of any greater worth? Why do animals not have the same rights as people? I have my own ideas about this and my own reasons, but I want to know what you all think first. Are we better than animals, and if so, why?

I wouldn't say that we are any better than other animals, but when you have the choice between saving a human and saving an animal, most people will pick the human (depending on the circumstances). We simply have a greater affinity for our own species. It doesn't make us any better than other animals, however.

As far as what separates us from other animals, you could list a number of things. It is generally thought that we are one of the most intelligent of the animals. The fact that we are able to make something as complicated as a computer says something about our species. But intelligence does not make anything superior to another.

 

[Mole]

We share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees.

And indeed we share 50% of our DNA with bananas.

 

[Nicodemus]

And indeed we share 50% of our DNA with bananas.

That sheds some additional light on this already illuminating video:

 

[WALMART]

If you liken the brain to a police force,


A) Animal brains can only search three to five states at a time looking for a criminal

B) Human brains can search thirty-eight to forty-six states at any given time


It's why, even though some whales possess brains as massive as ours, they still do not operate at a human-like level. The same concept goes towards your PC. It is a close to single point operating system.





I had more, but now I've forgotten. BBL.

 

[Salomé]

That sheds some additional light on this already illuminating video:

Hahaha! I love the banana wanker guy.

"When you pull the top, it doesn't squirt in your face". Lol. That's what she said.

I don't know about the difference between humans and other animals, but this is a good demo of the difference between Americans and intelligent life forms.

 

[/DG/]

Hahaha! I love the banana wanker guy.

"When you pull the top, it doesn't squirt in your face". Lol. That's what she said.

I don't know about the difference between humans and other animals, but this is a good demo of the difference between Americans and intelligent life forms.

Hey now! That video is hilarious, but it doesn't mean all Americans are stupid.

 

[Salomé]

Hey now! That video is hilarious, but it doesn't mean all Americans are stupid.

Is there another nation on earth where it would be comprehensible as anything other than satire?

 

[/DG/]

Is there another nation on earth where it would be comprehensible as anything other than satire?

Well I don't know, but there are certainly other countries with crazy religious people. The U.S. just seems to have more than the European countries is all this is.