BucephalusBB
ABACABB
Religion, but that's just a guess.
The internet, or at least the knowledge to use it.
Value of time, as in collecting history for example.
The need for psychiatrists.
Mac Donalds.
:ignore:
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What Makes Us Human?
- Thread starter rojse
- Start date
Religion, but that's just a guess.
The internet, or at least the knowledge to use it.
Value of time, as in collecting history for example.
The need for psychiatrists.
Mac Donalds.
:ignore:
That we define particular aspects of the world as "us".
cardero
Citizen Mod
Incorrect. Both humans and animals deserve a break today.
What makes us human? A frontal lobe and thumbs 
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
AlsoAnima
Friend
The presence on an independant soul.
Conciousness. The human mind can work the way it does because the soul exists. Other animals do not have souls and thus have limited mental expansion (and no possbility for spiritual expansion). A human who did not possess a soul would be unable to think in complex ways. They would be completely oblivious to abstract notions and physical realities with which they are not intimately involved.
Musings: If a human were to somehow aquire the soul of a different being, say an angel or demon or what have you, that also has an independant soul (if not a body) and replace their own with it the effect would interesting to observe.
painted wolf
Grey Muzzle
Our particular genetic heritage.
Most of the rest of what we think makes us unique... really doesn't.
Other species have art, language, war, ecological engineering, signs of spirituality and so on.
wa:do
Most of the rest of what we think makes us unique... really doesn't.
Other species have art, language, war, ecological engineering, signs of spirituality and so on.
wa:do
whereismynotecard
Treasure Hunter
The difference is the superiority complex and the tendency to do redundant things which we pretend are "important."
whereismynotecard
Treasure Hunter
Baggins loves Mc Donalds. We limit his mc donalds consumption though, because we don't want him to be a fat lard. He loved to have part of a double hamboiga one day while we were on a drive.
whereismynotecard
Treasure Hunter
You know, now that I think of it, my Baggins is a lot like a human in those regards. Baggins knows he's better than the other dogs. He's the dominant male of our dog pack. He also barks at the bunny in order to impress me; he thinks that is important, but it really isn't. I suppose the only difference is that we are of different species.
rojse
RF Addict
Creatures climbed out of the primeval sludge umpteen millions of years ago, to lead to this pinnacle in technological and social development - breast implants.
It all makes sense.
Not language.
Rough_ER
Member
Rough_ER
Member
I see what you mean. It's certainly true that we are yet to observe another creature using language in the same was as us in their natural habitat. However... from all the research performed with Panzee and Panbanisha, it would be pretty silly to suggest that no other animal has at least the capacity to learn language, given the right aids and encouragement.
painted wolf
Grey Muzzle
Dolphins use syntax, individual names and other hallmarks of true language. They can pass down information from one generation to the next.... who knows what other things they 'talk' about.
Elephants also have very complex communication... mostly unstudied due to the fact that it is mostly infra-sound and we can't hear it.
Even ape communication is turning out to be more complex than we had thought.
wa:do
Elephants also have very complex communication... mostly unstudied due to the fact that it is mostly infra-sound and we can't hear it.
Even ape communication is turning out to be more complex than we had thought.
wa:do
DarkSun
:eltiT
A quote from I, Robot comes to mind here.
The defining characteristics of humanity are self-awareness, the ability to feel emotion and posses a sense of morality. Without these we would be inhuman.
painted wolf
Grey Muzzle
What about animals with the same capacity?
Lots of animals are self-aware, feel emotion and possess a sense of morality.
wa:do
Lots of animals are self-aware, feel emotion and possess a sense of morality.
wa:do
DarkSun
:eltiT
Is it to the same extent as with humans?
EDIT:
I don't mean to sound as if I think humans are superior to animals. I don't. In a lot of ways, they can be superior. But I do think we have a higher state of consciousness, if you will. And that's not necessarily a good thing, by the way.