What makes a human human?

SaintWaldo

Interzone Vagabond
Jun 10, 2008
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What makes a human human?

A Voight-Kampff reading within established parameters sufficient to rule out a replicant. Duh.
 

SaintWaldo

Interzone Vagabond
Jun 10, 2008
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Willwillwritehiswill post=18.71022.713254 said:
being able to recognise ones own existance.
Even magpies can do that.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818220557.htm
 

Dudemeister

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Feb 24, 2008
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SaintWaldo post=18.71022.715481 said:
Willwillwritehiswill post=18.71022.713254 said:
being able to recognise ones own existance.
Even magpies can do that.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818220557.htm
Being able to question one's own existance.
 

Versuvius

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Apr 30, 2008
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...what makes a human, a human? Self awareness, empathy but GERBILS have that, or that could be herd protection instinct, yanno, look after the weak/wounded, but thats all empathy really is isnt it. Well what makes a human a human is how we classified a genetic code. To an alien we could be Blork-kak and they ask, what makes a Blork-kak a Blork-kak...so its not something we can answer, its something we decide ourself :p
 

_daxter_

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Jan 12, 2008
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Really hard question. Basically it is a matter of definition. So one extreme is to say we are because we call ourselves. This is in no way shallow. Think about it. :)

The other extreme is talking about specific traits. But here it gets really complicated, because we cannot really compare. We can see that monkeys can cry. Can feel empathy. Can hate. Can play. But there is many things we simply cannot talk about with them.

I personally think we are simply very complicated animals. Instead of climbing trees we sit down on our sofa and play Super Mario. Instead of beating our chests we drive the biggest cars and stuff. We might think a lot, but to what end?

But this of course isn't exactly hip to say for most people. It is so tempting to call ourselves special. Makes life easier.
 

Versuvius

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Apr 30, 2008
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_daxter_ post=18.71022.715553 said:
Really hard question. Basically it is a matter of definition. So one extreme is to say we are because we call ourselves. This is in no way shallow. Think about it. :)

The other extreme is talking about specific traits. But here it gets really complicated, because we cannot really compare. We can see that monkeys can cry. Can feel empathy. Can hate. Can play. But there is many things we simply cannot talk about with them.

I personally think we are simply very complicated animals. Instead of climbing trees we sit down on our sofa and play Super Mario. Instead of beating our chests we drive the biggest cars and stuff. We might think a lot, but to what end?

But this of course isn't exactly hip to say for most people. It is so tempting to call ourselves special. Makes life easier.
I think personally humans as a whole (scientists, despite sucking scientist dick and rating them above jesus) should do a few better things instead of wanking off the human mass and making it feel big and manly against all the other little creatures. Like say the Chimera idea from full metal alchemist. It is technically possible to say, improve vision with animal DNA inserted by a vector, but not magic...ramble ramble...yeah do something more fucking useful you white coated cocks!...girls in white cloats are hot..sorry..i made my point in that mass somewhere
 

Corven

Forever Gonzo
Sep 10, 2008
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Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word
itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words -
"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean ? It's a mystery, and that's
why so is mankind.
-jack handey

but seriously I suppose it would have to be the ability to realize a sense of self.
 

Spacelord

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May 7, 2008
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The capability of the conscience to identify both the organism's relationship to an object, and incorporating a self-image at the same time, so that both the object as the self are described.

I read that in a book. :p So I'm not as smart as you all may think.