Animals/humans

[Kat]

Another thread made me think of this, but I thought it would be more appropriate here.


In the media, and in society, I've frequently heard certain groups of people referred to as animals or monsters. Groups such as murderers, rapists, paedophiles, terrorists etc. I personally think that as well as being fundamentally false and uncharitable, they're also unproductive and often obtrusive if the aim is to improve (ie. increase both the average and the absolute levels of happiness) society.

My question is what makes us human? Is it genetics, or our upbringing, or our actions?

I saw an interesting take on this in a documentary about feral children recently:
http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/science/medicine/bodyshock2.html
These children were described as 'the experiment we're not allowed to do' in exploring what it means to be human. If they act animals in terms of speech and understanding, can they be said to be human?

[tca]

We ARE animals kat, No matter how "civilised" or how much we live together in a "society", We will always BE animals at heart...

As for all murderers being monsters, The part that caught my eye, I disagree, Some have perfect reason for killing :D

[Aiyana]

i agree with tca....boy that was alot of reading...and i think i saw that program a while back or at least one like it.

we are all called humans ..like a cat is a cat and a dog is a dog...but we are all still animals.

[Kat]

OK - theoretically I agree, but I don't think that's the only answer. I think the debate about what is human is important to have from another point of view, because we use the definition of human as a social definition, differentiating us from animals.

You might argue that we're all animals, but would you argue that cats (or frogs, or termites) should have the same rights as (claim to) give to humans? If not, then there is a distinction there, and it's the terms of this discinction that I think it's worth arguing about.

[tca]

We're simply more evolved then other animals, When they start communicating etc in our terms, Then i think they have a right to claim the same rights as humans

Like we've evolved far enough along to simple rule the food chain, When something else evolves and starts commuincating with us etc in a way that is understandable by us, And they can live in a "society" like humans, Then they have rights

Until then, They are under us on the food chain, Therefore under us period :D

[Kat]

We're simply more evolved then other animals, When they start communicating etc in our terms, Then i think they have a right to claim the same rights as humans

Like we've evolved far enough along to simple rule the food chain, When something else evolves and starts commuincating with us etc in a way that is understandable by us, And they can live in a "society" like humans, Then they have rights

Until then, They are under us on the food chain, Therefore under us period :D
So humanity is defined by communication? To what extent d'you have to be able to communicate to be defined as human? and it what way? Can babies be said to be human in any sense other than their potential?

This came into discussion in the feral children debate - one of the criteria they had for humanity was the ability to use language. Some of the feral children never managed this - does that make them inhuman?

[tca]

No, It makes them less intelligent humans, Im not saying language is the prime basis to be considered human, The way we act, The way we live, The way we express ourselves, The way we use our minds

Somebody who can't communicate as well as somebody else, Well i wouldn't call them less intelligent humans, They may know things we don't, They might not even wanna know

I'd simply say they just went back to their basic animal nature, By any means im not calling them animals, Predated humans though, Definately :-)

[Cowboy From Hell]

we can think, we can reason, we can learn, we can question ourselves and our enviroment and we want and can find answers.

we can learn the basics and apply them to create everything that sorrounds us, not just use a stick to open something.

that's the difference.

the debate could be in the so called "soul", "what make's us be": are we in love or it's just a chemical reaction? do we think or is it just electrical & chemical impulses.

otherwise we are all just C H O N P S K Ca & some metals