Is man just another animal?

[an anarchist]

From your religious / spiritual perspective, is man just another animal? Or, does man deserve a classification of their own?

I'm not sure what I think.

We all come from the same place, animal and man. Same ancestor and everything. But man is leaps and bounds ahead in the intellect department. This sophistication has allowed for the development of spirituality. Man is often a spiritual creature. Does this separate them from the lion and the zebra?

 

[YoursTrue]

From your religious / spiritual perspective, is man just another animal? Or, does man deserve a classification of their own?

I'm not sure what I think.

We all come from the same place, animal and man. Same ancestor and everything. But man is leaps and bounds ahead in the intellect department. This sophistication has allowed for the development of spirituality. Man is often a spiritual creature. Does this separate them from the lion and the zebra?

To my knowledge man has developed unique qualities, among them are writing and recording history for other humans to read. And this is important. Otherwise we wouldn't know much about previous centuries. Even though I don't believe everything that's written about these things. But on the other hand, not contradicting that thought, is that according to what I see, mankind has the unique ability to destroy the earth. Gorillas and cockroaches do not.

 

[YoursTrue]

From your religious / spiritual perspective, is man just another animal? Or, does man deserve a classification of their own?

I'm not sure what I think.

We all come from the same place, animal and man. Same ancestor and everything. But man is leaps and bounds ahead in the intellect department. This sophistication has allowed for the development of spirituality. Man is often a spiritual creature. Does this separate them from the lion and the zebra?

P.S. As a self-described anarchist, do you really believe that man is leaps and bounds ahead in the intellect department because of evolution? just wondering, since it seems clear to me that mankind was given that distinct ability by a higher intelligent power, namely, God. Because -- it's amazing.

 

[Aupmanyav]

In the view I follow (Advaita Hinduism), we do not differentiate even between the living and the non-living, so the question of differentiating between animals and humans does not arise. Only one substrate constitutes all things in the world and that we term as Brahman. Kindly note that for me Brahman is not a God, it is the substrate, the brick that constitutes the house. Brahman takes all forms.
'Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma' (All this is Brahman) - Mandukya Upanishad

 

[an anarchist]

To my knowledge man has developed unique qualities, among them is writing and recording history for other humans to read. And this is important.

That's true, but some species has to be the first. Perhaps we simply are the first ones to develop it. Maybe dinosaurs would've evolved opposable thumbs and who knows what else if they weren't wiped out 65 million years ago. I reckon if it weren't for the meteor, some dinosaur species would've had a chance to evolve intelligence. Sure, they were alive a lot longer than that, and they weren't sentient like humans are.

Perhaps we are the first intelligent species in the universe even! Like I said, there has to be a first. Could it really be us?

mankind has the unique ability to destroy the earth. Gorillas and cockroaches do not.

Following that thought...

My metaphysical beliefs state that mankind has the unique ability to save the earth as well. I don't believe animals can.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

Extropy. Humans possess the ability for divine extropy. Utility, generosity, sagacity, sovereignty and unity. Unlike any other animal that exists. There is much more self-awareness of ourselves as a result. If humans did not exist, nor our extropy would exist, and ultimately, God would be incomplete. Like the way Christians view Judaism as a religion. Partially complete and honestly, because of our extropy God will never be the same as a result.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I would say we are another animal, but our intellectual superiority separates us in drastic ways.

 

[an anarchist]

P.S. As a self-described anarchist, do you really believe that man is leaps and bounds ahead in the intellect department because of evolution? just wondering, since it seems clear to me that mankind was given that distinct ability by a higher intelligent power, namely, God. Because -- it's amazing.

Soooo first off is your reply implying that anarchism is intellectually superior? If so, great

I'm trying to understand how you are correlating my anarchism with the OP. I feel like I can sort of see it though, so if you could just elaborate...

 

[Heyo]

But man is leaps and bounds ahead in the intellect department.

I disagree. The average human wouldn't make it out of a jungle without tools and education if placed there. We are slightly ahead in the intellect department but not leaps and bounds. We are about 2% genetically different from chimpanzees. The things that make us the dominant intellectual species is our cooperation and the occasional genius, i.e. the exceptional human, not the average.

 

[Estro Felino]

Men are animalia. That's the kingdom.

Considering ourselves entitled to dominate other animals is bad. Man has lost this awareness, because the world belongs to all species.
And on the contrary, humans seek control, even at cost of eliminating all other species.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I disagree. The average human wouldn't make it out of a jungle without tools and education if placed there. We are slightly ahead in the intellect department but not leaps and bounds. We are about 2% genetically different from chimpanzees. The things that make us the dominant intellectual species is our cooperation and the occasional genius, i.e. the exceptional human, not the average.

I agree with this, such that humans are much like an iceberg but in a very exaggerated way - sitting atop thousands of years of knowledge and endeavour - but where individually we only amount to the education and abilities we possess. Take away the education - what would we be? And hopefully we would never get to find out - other than after a serious nuclear confrontation. Nice going humans, wiping out so much progress because of the stupidity of a few leaders if so.

 

[SalixIncendium]

From your religious / spiritual perspective, is man just another animal?

Of course. Otherwise man would just be another plant or just another mineral.

 

[SalixIncendium]

But on the other hand, not contradicting that thought, is that according to what I see, mankind has the unique ability to destroy the earth.

I always considered this to be a rather arrogant thought. Mankind may have the capability to make the planet uninhabitable for itself, but the planet will survive long after man is extinct.

 

[JDMS]

I agree with this, such that humans are much like an iceberg but in a very exaggerated way - sitting atop thousands of years of knowledge and endeavour - but where individually we only amount to the education and abilities we possess. Take away the education - what would we be? And hopefully we would never get to find out - other than after a serious nuclear confrontation. Nice going humans, wiping out so much progress because of the stupidity of a few leaders if so.

Very true observations.

 

[exchemist]

From your religious / spiritual perspective, is man just another animal? Or, does man deserve a classification of their own?

I'm not sure what I think.

We all come from the same place, animal and man. Same ancestor and everything. But man is leaps and bounds ahead in the intellect department. This sophistication has allowed for the development of spirituality. Man is often a spiritual creature. Does this separate them from the lion and the zebra?

I think the conventional Christian view is that mankind is unique in having moral awareness and therefore moral responsibility, which the other animals , so far as we know, do not. This is one of the key messages of the Genesis story of the Fall: eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I don't know but I imagine Judaism, and possibly Islam, may have the same idea.

 

[ChristineM]

I disagree. The average human wouldn't make it out of a jungle without tools and education if placed there. We are slightly ahead in the intellect department but not leaps and bounds. We are about 2% genetically different from chimpanzees. The things that make us the dominant intellectual species is our cooperation and the occasional genius, i.e. the exceptional human, not the average.

^^^ THIS ^^^

 

[Viker]

From your religious / spiritual perspective, is man just another animal?

Yes. I don't think we're deserving of a higher or lower status than any animal. We may be here to observe and assist other animals if we can. We're just "civilized" apes.