What defines Humanity?

[Skeleon]

According to most fantasy, the hunger for more knowledge and advancement. We're very rash compared to the older races but this flaw is also one of our greatest strengths and reasons why Humanity thrives while the Elves dwindle and die out and the Dwarves stay locked up in their mines.

 

[Cliff_m85]

Being human = understanding that we will die.

 

[ae86gamer]

I'm bad at putting my thoughts into good, meaningful words, so this is all I could come up with.

Being human is to always reach for something more, to have free will, something to die for, and most of all something to live for.

 

[lucaf]

I'm bad at putting my thoughts into good, meaningful words, so this is all I could come up with.

Being human is to always reach for something more, to have free will, something to die for, and most of all something to live for.

you should be in politics . but yeah i get what you mean

 

[RavingPenguin]

*Snip

May I be so bold as to ask that you expound upon your idea? I seems it cuts off mid thought. Also I only use the term "human" as I lack a vocabulary term for the idea I mean. I.e. being able to determine if another race is "equal" as we define it.

I'm bad at putting my thoughts into good, meaningful words, so this is all I could come up with.

Being human is to always reach for something more, to have free will, something to die for, and most of all something to live for.

You would argue that humanity is advanced emotion and will power then?

 

[Cowabungaa]

May I be so bold as to ask that you expound upon your idea? I seems it cuts off mid thought. Also I only use the term "human" as I lack a vocabulary term for the idea I mean. I.e. being able to determine if another race is "equal" as we define it.

I have that problem quite often, sorry 'bout that. Anyway, so I guess that what you really want to ask is what qualities a species need to be regarded equal worthy as humans? If that's so, I pick the instinct or strive, for a lack of a better word, of self preservation. Or simply put: every other living thing out there.

If you mean, when can another species be considered equal to humans? Then no other species can, because no other species is exactly 100% the same as humans. If they would be, they're actual humans. But, again, that doesn't mean that they're not equal worthy.

 

[RavingPenguin]

*snip

So its an all or nothing approach then. Both points make sense, I suppose. I think what makes us unique would be everything listed above, logic, emotion, and the like. Hmmm... I need time to think upon this.

Alas, I have learned this day. 'Tis why I love this site.

 

[Deleted]

"What defines Humanity?"

A dictionary.

Do I win?

Philosophy is redundant when you're within reach of a dictionary.

But why? That's what I ask you today folks. I'm not a fan of philosophy but I'm into finding the answers to questions we don't know.

 

[lucaf]

do they need to be that similar? as long as they are intelligent enough to communicate with, we could make the most of their abilities, while they make the most out of ours. remember, they may have qualities that make us animal like compared to them, even if they are to us in other respects

 

[Cowabungaa]

*snip

So its an all or nothing approach then. Both points make sense, I suppose. I think what makes us unique would be everything listed above, logic, emotion, and the like. Hmmm... I need time to think upon this.

Alas, I have learned this day. 'Tis why I love this site.

It's the unique combination of things that makes us a separate species. Anything with the the same combination, or in other words, the same genetic structure, belongs to the same species. Simple biology. It's the equal worthy part that's more philosophical though.

But yes, learning is great, and the fact that thoughtful posts are appreciated make this site great. Shall we make love to it now? *puts his gimp suit on*

 

[Cargando]

My inner scientist is crying out to say 'Homo Sapiens' but i'm not going to.

What defines humanity? Our intellect, physical shape, genes and ethics all contribute.

 

[Sneaky-Pie]

I would say the ability to create.

 

[ToMegaTherion]

I'll say philosophy. To think about our very existence and to make choices based on our feelings and opinions

 

[G1eet]

<quote=Professor Farnsworth>But as Deepak Chopra taught us, quantum physics means that anything can happen at anytime and for no reason. Also, eat plenty of oatmeal, and animals never had a war! Who is the real animal?

<youtube=a7XuXi3mqYM>

I suppose warfare/ premeditated violence. Or genocide.

 

[Iron Mal]

You know what seperates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom? The fact that we're human, simple as that.

No matter what we say to try and elevate ourselves above ever other species upon the planet you can be sure that some smartarse somewhere will find some nugget of animal info somewhere that says some creature somewhere does that too.

With this in mind the only undeniable feature that humanity posesses that cannot be mimicked by anything else is the fact that it is human.

Some will argue that it isn't much but it seems to have been enough for us to dominate the planet.

 

[Monocle Man]

We adapt our surroundings to ourselves, not adapt ourselves to the surroundings.

Mankind did not wait to grow fangs and claws to hunt but altered objects to replace them.
Although technically you could say we did adapt ourselves so we could adapt our surroundings, but perhaps we weren't human before that.

And I do not consider poking an anthill with a stick or tossing a rock on an egg as adapting the surroundings.

 

[Fbuh]

This question has been a bit of a problem for anthropologists for decades. What makes humans so special and different? Is it our use of tools? No, other animals use tools, such as chimps using sticks to get at termites in a log. Is it our thumbs? Again, apes do have thumbs as well, so it can't be that.

The generally accepted thought is that it is our brains that do it. Our brains have developed in such a way as to put forth one thing that, as far as we know, no other animal has: wisdom. We are the only species of animal on Earth that has wisdom, or indeed the only animal with such a huge amount of existential angst.

 

[TheBarefootBandit]

"What defines Humanity?"

A dictionary.

Do I win?

Ninja'd and yes you probably do win.

 

[jboking]

One could make the argument for sentience, however could a machine not be made sentient in the future, or perhaps the animals we have among us now? Dolphins and wolves have there own system of communication and posses relatively high intelligences, yet are not considered human. This leaves sentience on the back burner. How about Self-Awareness then? When a species attains the level of intelligence for self preservation and equilibrium with the environment, is it then considered to be human or humanoid? I don't have the answer to this one, though humanity in its current state is only beginning to reach this understanding. I have more questions than I do answers. In being so, I turn to you Escapist users, and I ask that you may share your input to shed light on the dark recess that is xenophobia.

TLR: What makes another race human? I.e. treated as such.
Note: Humanity refers to us treating other (perhaps other worldly) organisms as we would other people.

Likely, nothing would lead us to treating another organism as human. Even if we maintained peaceful contact, our type of communication between one-another would be far different from that of one human to another.

I will say, communication and understanding between our two races has the greatest chance of being the cause of us one day treating another race as equals. Lack of communication is likely the reason we don't treat animals better. I'm sure if I could go to the slaughter house and talk to the cows on death row I would quickly become a vegetarian.

 

[obliterate]

I will define humanity in exactly one word: Idiocy