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Why is it that Human beings see themselves as seperate and superior to other living animals on this planet? All we are is but animals as well. We are no more important than the average housefly, no more special. Sure, we are fortunate to be gifted with the attribute of self awareness, and much more intelligence than any other animal, but that doesn't make us the rulers of this planet. It doesn't entitle us to somehow own this planet. If we were all to vanish this very second, Earth would go on without us, and thrive. Thrive with life.
Why are human beings so arrogant to not realize that we are not among the animals here, but we also, ARE but animals here?
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We do because we can. Other species would do the same. If Chimps were as intelligent as we are, I have no doubt they wouldn't hesitate to subjugate other species. Species are programmed to only care about their own survival - in the eco-system that works out - but when they becoming TOO dominant it plays havoc with nature.
Why is it that Human beings see themselves as seperate and superior to other living animals on this planet? All we are is but animals as well. We are no more important than the average housefly, no more special. Sure, we are fortunate to be gifted with the attribute of self awareness, and much more intelligence than any other animal, but that doesn't make us the rulers of this planet. It doesn't entitle us to somehow own this planet. If we were all to vanish this very second, Earth would go on without us, and thrive. Thrive with life.
Why are human beings so arrogant to not realize that we are not among the animals here, but we also, ARE but animals here?
You should not lump all humans into one category with one world-view. Personally, I see the bible as one of the reasons some people view themselves as superior~ "have dominion over... blah blah".
As a Native American, I disagree with the bible on how humans should interact with mother nature. Just my two cents worth.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88
Why is it that Human beings see themselves as seperate and superior to other living animals on this planet? All we are is but animals as well. We are no more important than the average housefly, no more special. Sure, we are fortunate to be gifted with the attribute of self awareness, and much more intelligence than any other animal, but that doesn't make us the rulers of this planet. It doesn't entitle us to somehow own this planet. If we were all to vanish this very second, Earth would go on without us, and thrive. Thrive with life.
Why are human beings so arrogant to not realize that we are not among the animals here, but we also, ARE but animals here?
What's the alternative?
I don't necessarily disagree, I'm just curious if you've thought your way completely around this topic.
One of my favorite books about the natural world is by Henry Beston, who, I think, may have come closest to the truth about man and his place among the animal kingdom when he wrote:
"We need another and wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken a form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth."
- Henry Beston, The Outermost House (1928)
We have been given dominion over the earth and all it's creatures by God. Yes, we are unique and superior to the animals.
Put yourself in a room with a bear, lion, tiger, wolf or any other large predator and who do you think will walk out alive? Even with a weapon you chances don't fare well when you go one on one.
And the tiniest of bacteria cells could kill you in minutes and you could do nothing about it with out aid from medicine.
This shows just how superior we are to animals.
You say we are unique and yet we share most of our DNA with a chimp and other species. If we were truly unique we would not share the majority of our abilities with other animals.
We are the only species that kills animals for pleasure and the only one that kills in cold blood. We are the only species that go to senseless war over resources. We over populate and over consume.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raison_d'etre
Put yourself in a room with a bear, lion, tiger, wolf or any other large predator and who do you think will walk out alive? Even with a weapon you chances don't fare well when you go one on one.
And the tiniest of bacteria cells could kill you in minutes and you could do nothing about it with out aid from medicine.
This shows just how superior we are to animals.
You say we are unique and yet we share most of our DNA with a chimp and other species. If we were truly unique we would not share the majority of our abilities with other animals.
We are the only species that kills animals for pleasure and the only one that kills in cold blood. We are the only species that go to senseless war over resources. We over populate and over consume.
Some exceptions to the above...
However close humans and other higher primates may be in terms of a percentage of genetic material shared, the net difference is relatively large. Consider that humans and drosophila have a genetic similarity of about 60%. There is obviously a lot of ground covered in 40% (or 1% for that matter).
We are, indeed, unique in the animal kingdom in many ways and this is undeniable. Then again, so are bears, lions, wolves, chimps, alligators, shrimp, etc.
We are most certainly not the only species that kills for pleasure (you need not look past the housecat), nor are we the only one that kills in cold blood. Chimpanzees will kill out of jealousy, over mates or to achieve some calculated social goal. Cape buffalo trample lion cubs on sight. Lions kill hyenas opportunistically and do not eat them. Baboons will kill competition for mates and kill babies that are not their own. Elephants will kill "just because". It's all pretty cold out there. The concept of "evil" is not uniquely human in my estimation.
Everything will overpopulate and overconsume if overpopulation and overconsumption is an option. There isn't some agreement out there that keeps everything in balance. The balance is the result of everything that lives doing its best to take everything it can and create as many copies of itself as it can.
Don't be so down on humans. We do a lot of good things too.
Also: If a human walks into a room with a bear, tiger, lion or wolf that he/she trained they will probably both walk out alive. Further, if a bear walks into a room full of naked humans with spears and clubs then that bear is in deep trouble. Don't mistake the naked ape for a helpless creature; humans are very formidable animals.
However close humans and other higher primates may be in terms of a percentage of genetic material shared, the net difference is relatively large. Consider that humans and drosophila have a genetic similarity of about 60%. There is obviously a lot of ground covered in 40% (or 1% for that matter).
We are, indeed, unique in the animal kingdom in many ways and this is undeniable. Then again, so are bears, lions, wolves, chimps, alligators, shrimp, etc.
Yes, we are unique but not because of some divine creator.
Quote:
We are most certainly not the only species that kills for pleasure (you need not look past the housecat), nor are we the only one that kills in cold blood. Chimpanzees will kill out of jealousy, over mates or to achieve some calculated social goal. Cape buffalo trample lion cubs on sight. Lions kill hyenas opportunistically and do not eat them. Baboons will kill competition for mates and kill babies that are not their own. Elephants will kill "just because". It's all pretty cold out there. The concept of "evil" is not uniquely human in my estimation.
Ah, yes the housecat. Such a natural species of animal. Most cats kill and present the kill as a gift to their owner.
A chimp killing out of jealousy is not in cold blood. It's goal is to mate as often as possible so they do kill for a purpose. Would a chimp kill another chimp for claiming their god is false? A cape buffalo trampling a lion cup is doing so to kill a future predator. Hyenas and lions are competitors for a food source and it is mostly territorial. Can you give me an example of how Elephants kill "just because".
Quote:
Everything will overpopulate and overconsume if overpopulation and overconsumption is an option. There isn't some agreement out there that keeps everything in balance. The balance is the result of everything that lives doing its best to take everything it can and create as many copies of itself as it can.
The problem is that we know we overpopulate and over consume, yet we still do it.
Quote:
Don't be so down on humans. We do a lot of good things too.
Yes we do.
Quote:
Also: If a human walks into a room with a bear, tiger, lion or wolf that he/she trained they will probably both walk out alive. Further, if a bear walks into a room full of naked humans with spears and clubs then that bear is in deep trouble. Don't mistake the naked ape for a helpless creature; humans are very formidable animals.
Did I say they were trained? And yes if one bear attacks several armed humans it might not survive. I take it you don't hunt... Never underestimate a wild animal.
Last edited by raison_d'etre; 07-16-2012 at 01:30 PM..
We are simply animals among other animals. We've developed as the dominant species for three basic reasons: the size and development of our brains, the presence of prehensile digits and opposable thumbs, and our ability to navigate land. When you put it all together; we have the intelligence to conceive of things, the dexterity to build things, and a place to put and maintain things.
Unfortunately, our arrogance has caused us to believe that it is our right to use and abuse other species as we see fit. Somehow, as a species, human beings have learned to ignore our interconnectedness with "lesser" animals.
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