Humanity

[thewake]

What does it mean to be human?

[TheDelinquent]

It means being of the species homo sapien, and until the emergence of a similar intelligence is catalouged, we can count curiosity as our defining feature as well.

[Darthmat]

Weswammy Wrote:What does it mean to be human?

Do you mean human or humane?

[thewake]

Human.

As in, "I am a human, fear me lowly creatures, I have opposable thumbs and a vast intellect!"

[SoulRiser]

Quote:As in, "I am a human, fear me lowly creatures, I have opposable thumbs and a vast intellect!"

That's the thing about humans I find strange. They think that just because they're the most intelligent being on the planet, that they are capable of explaining everything about said planet and the universe it resides in. I find it really hilarious every time someone finds evidence that disproves a commonly accepted scientific "fact". I think humanity as a whole could do with learning to be a bit more humble.

[Cilaos]

Chimps and apes have opposable thumbs as well.

[thewake]

It was just something I made up.
I never said I actually felt that way.

[Darthmat]

We are better becasue of our machines, and therefore have a right to kill all others.

[thewake]

Machines?

Soon you will wanting to turn man into the machine!

[PIMP.]

An animal looks at his/her surroundings as says this is it. A human looks at his/her surroundings and says "this cant be it, i want more!"

[Darthmat]

Weswammy Wrote:Machines?

Soon you will wanting to turn man into the machine!

Tools, weapons wtvr. Started out w/ knives and other stuff, but now we have guns.

Quote:An animal looks at his/her surroundings as says this is it. A human looks at his/her surroundings and says "this cant be it, i want more!"

so sadly tue...

[Suicidal-kun]

Humans feel that they are more superior then every other thing on the planet, including other humans. I bet you anything, that if there are other species in the universe and if we ever find a way to travel to their planet, we're going to be the 'invading aliens' and our basis for doing it, will be that they are inferior to us.

[Guest]

Human is a concept that starts with genetics.

Homo sapiens sapiens is a species like, and unlike, any other. Species are ways of easily categorizing and labelling the multitude of different creatures that exist. On one level, species do not exist. They are labels to group together creatures with similar characteristics and genetics. It is easy to show that species do not exist. Humans and dogs are clearly very different groups of people. But I doubt anyone here could easily tell the difference between African and Asian Elephants which are considered different species. If you went back in the genetic history of any species, you would see a slowly changing image, not individual species.

Yet at another level, humans as a species do exist. Humans are clearly distinguishable from most other species. What we call "human" does have distinct differences compared to other creatures. The main difference in humanity is a combination of intelligence and manual dexterity (e.g. our hands). With that we can learn about the world and pass that knowledge down through the generations. With that we can build and use complex things. Dolphins are very intelligent but they lack the means to write or build. Dolphins may have traditions and folk songs they pass down to their children, but there can be no Shakespeare in dolphin culture.

As we learn and build we have changed the world to our own design. All creatures adapt to their environment and some adapt the environment to them. Humans have taken this to extremes by building cities, roads, and sewers. But that is not a human trait alone. Ants build complex cities underground and cooperate better than we do. What is unique about things humans have built is the science in them. Architecture is not simply a matter of innate knowledge of arches and tunnels, it is a learnt knowledge of mathematics and physics.

But there is, of course, the bad side. We can build both nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. We can pass down songs of love and hate. But that is the key, we can choose what to do. History is a series of moments that are defined by the people in them. Human future can be changed. We can choose intelligently what to do.

[wyldstryke]

we had to do something like this in history once. i remember the teacher saying that what separates humans from other creatures is the ability to think. by thinking, i dont mean bestial impulses or instinct. it means art. for example, dolphins are considered to be very smart creatures, but they cannot think, because they have no art. no language, no paintings, carvings, pictures, statues, tools, anything. humans, on the other hand, do.

[Guest]

As I said, dolphins can think. They just don't have the appendages to do anything. Also, working in water is harder than on land.

[Araris]

Is being able to construct art 'thinking'? Because I can tell you, I can't make much art. I can write. Guess what. Humans aren't the only species with a form of language. Gorilla's have learned sign language, proving they're capable of having a language. Bee's 'dance' to recruit others to different places.

The three reason that humans, in my opinion, are the 'dominant' species, is because of their greed. They're able to think, and think about how to make gain things that others can't. Humans think about more than just surviving, they think about surviving comfortably. Which leads to reason two.

Humans like convenience. I believe it was the homo erectus that first began using tools. Why? Because at first, they were unable to survive without them. They were decent sized, but not particularly strong. They could run, but not as fast as other animals, and grew tired much more quickly. They couldn't fly. They couldn't keep warm with just their amount of hair and fat. So, they began making tools to make tasks simpler.

Reason number three, is humans envy towards other animals. They were jealous of horses speed, so they mounted them, and claimed it as their own (later creating tools that would surpass all other animals speeds). They were jealous of beetle's armors, so they created their own. They were jealous of birds ability to fly, and so they spend centuries trying to claim it as their own.

[akdonn]

The Human Condition: We didn't ask to be born. We must live our own lives. We all die alone.

[Troxden]

darthmat Wrote:We are better becasue of our machines, and therefore have a right to kill all others.

Every other animal can construct machines as well as we can. Every other animal has it's own language. Every other animal can, and does kill. Every other animal has the right to survival. Only humans have the "right" to kill, because only humans are arrogant.

I would like to say, i'm ashamed of humanity, and i'm ashamed of darthmat.

[Happy Camper]

From a different angle, I'd say one thing that makes us human is our dual nature. We are capable of amazing altruistic acts and great things while at the same time we have a twisted nature to deal with as well. It's complex and then it's also simple. Just like life is amazing while it's also horrible. Humans are an incredible species while incredibly fallen and corrupt.

But you know, I've been on a Battlestar Galactica marathon for the last seventy-two hours. I'm looking at the distinction more between human and machine.

And again. Some people insist that there couldn't be a God because if there was a God he wouldn't allow our world to suck so much. And I can't take those arguments seriously because flaws are such an essential part of human nature. In order to embrace humanity you have to embrace the flaws and that we are capable of fucking up.

[dreamer...]

We're hominids that walk on two legs and have hair on our heads and look like whatever and cannot interbreed with other species. Just look in a biology book.

Instead of "what does it mean to be human" I think the question should be "What does being human imply for us?" What is the result of our humanity?

[Darthmat]

Troxden Wrote:

darthmat Wrote:We are better becasue of our machines, and therefore have a right to kill all others.

Every other animal can construct machines as well as we can. Every other animal has it's own language. Every other animal can, and does kill. Every other animal has the right to survival. Only humans have the "right" to kill, because only humans are arrogant.

I would like to say, i'm ashamed of humanity, and i'm ashamed of darthmat.

That was e-sarcasm! Shit, I gotta make it more clear when I do that.