What makes you human?

[Pojo-san]

Snip

I am inclined to lean towards Aristotle on this subject.

What makes us human, and seperate us from other species is that our gift and unique ability is that of rational reasoning. We exist, and we know we exist. That I think is the main trait of humanity.

This may be a bit crudely formulated, but I am sitting in class right now, which is philosophy by the way. It is an interesting discussion, and it's a pity some don't take it seriously.

We actually had that discussion in my Comp and Rhetoric class. We spent maybe 20 minutes talking about it, but spent the entirety of another class arguing about what patriotism is. That got pretty heated.

 

[Pojo-san]

the ability to tell right from wrong

Question for you then. What is right and wrong or good and evil? Are they not just perceptions that an individual has toward choices and morals? If so, than is there a true right and wrong if everyone's view is different from the other? Is everything truly black and white or is just a subtle shade of grey?

Tell me what you think. Please know I'm not trying to goad you or be rude with my questions.

 

[Pojo-san]

Being able to question my own existence. Humans are the only sentient beings on the planet. I think that pretty much sums it up.

You can't prove this, of course. Several studies have concluded that other beings, prmates, pigs, and even rats, are capable of meta-cognition.

Why does a rat need to contemplate it's own existence? I find this somewhat amusing. I suddenly have an image of a rat in the same position as "The Thinker." It's hunched over with a paw under it's chin, and it's thinking, "Why am I rat? What makes me a rat?" You would never think a rat would be thinking that let alone capable of thinking that. Well they are smart critters.

..Why does a human need to contemplate it's own existence?

Good point

 

[Merkavar]

I suppose the most obvious, logical answer is genetics. I have human genes, so my body builds itself as human. You say you don't want religion brought into it, so I'm guessing that also includes metaphysical reasoning or philosophy.

we share 98% dna with chimps, does that make them 98% human? are bananas 50% human?

Anyway i think we are human because we act and feel like humans. so say there was a robot or a cow that could act and feel like us they would be human. physical form doesnt matter its how we act and feel that defines us as humans.

 

[gammazuma]

I am human because I know nothing and think I know everything.

 

[StormShaun]

I guess I cant say anything since im part cyborg.....what a life

But since im part human ill say my intellegence to question life and my morality

How can you be part-"part-machine"? You're either a cyborg or you aren't!

He's a manbearpig!

Ahhhhh WHERE!

Also I guess im just part robot, with my arm being an robotic arm with knife, guns and a fart noises in it...

 

[Astoria]

ok, i know im doing alot of quoting here, but its only to get the attention of the people involved:

Astoria: ok dude look, religion is under huge debate, all that time! thats why we have all these different religions that splint from a main one. thats why the Crusades happened. trust me, you cant say that they're completely different.

WOPR: you are absolutely right. however, i think you may have missed the original argument do to a misquote, i was the guy who said that religion and philosophy are very closely related and NOT completely different.

Different aspects of it maybe but not core beliefs that are held. I know that they aren't completely different, they overlap in some ways but they are different. With religion you are going by a set of beliefs, often believing in a god of some kind, and as such you believe in following rules set down by said god or whatever. Philosophy is more free as it's not restricted by set beliefs and because of that you can claim whatever you want.

Another thing is that with religion you don't need any facts to back up your belief because you have faith. The whole point of religion is faith. With philosophy you need facts or logical thinking to back up your belief and conclusions.

Not entirely sure if that made sense or not but yeah they are different.

 

[Halceon]

What do you think make us human? Do you think there is something unique about us or not, and if you do what? I'm asking from an anthropological and philosophical perspective, so please do not use religion.

I believe that we are human because of two reasons. The first is our entire way of life depends on fire. We use it to cook our food, to make our vehicles move, to make products, to keep us warm, and so on. On top of that we are the only species on the planet who can create and control fire. So using, making and controlling fire is part of what makes us human. My other reason is that someone long time ago decided to call us human. Our species needed a name so some decided to call us human. We could have been easily called dogs, cats, or octopi. We are only human because we call ourselves humans.

What do you guys think? What do you believe makes you human?

Edit: Yes, I know genetics make you human in a biological sense. Besides that, what else do you think makes you human? The biology and genetics arguments is getting rather dull.

As opposed to what? I mean, there's not really any debate value in thinking how we differ from things that are quite different from us, like rocks or pigeons, nor is there any real question there.

Also, your second point is silly, because it distantly implies that people speaking other languages aren't humans but rather menschen, cilvēki, lyud'i and so on.

 

[Super Toast]

Being a miserable pile of secrets.

 

[Kiju]

Fallibility.

...do I win?

Oh! Oh, you mean just what makes us different than other animals. Well...I'm not entirely certain of that. We aren't much different than other animals in that we use our minds and instincts to control our actions and come out with a desired outcome.

The only difference is that we have human conscience. I'm not really sure how else to put it, but it's one of the better ways to sum it up. We're one of the few creatures in the world that can think about something; and I mean really think about it before we do it. An animal will act on it's instincts, doing what their instincts say whether the animal thinks it's a good idea or not. Hence why things like traps work. They see: "Food, must get" and go to get it. Admittedly, some animals are more clever than that, but a human will see food just randomly lying around, and wonder why it's there. They'll question it's safety.

I suppose, in a way, what makes us human is that we can question things. We wonder, we explore, we discover, we think. Admittedly, there's no proof saying that other animals can't do those things too, but there's also little evidence that they can; you don't see a raccoon driving a car, using fire to keep itself warm, or writing a novel.

 

[Planetoid]

Admittedly, there's no proof saying that other animals can't do those things too, but there's also little evidence that they can; you don't see a raccoon driving a car, using fire to keep itself warm, or writing a novel.

Maybe, but what's to say our ability to think isn't something that's tied to our chromosomal lineage?

 

[DonMartin]

My inability to converse with other species?

 

[Ohhi]

I truly don't know what to say on the subject I think what makes us human is the ability to reason and feel emotion and to be able to question our exsistence but beyond that I don't know and if that classifies us as humans than I only have two of those the reason and the question our existence part but to tell you the truth I have no emotion for any other human being I feel no remorse when someone dies whether it be a relative or a friend and the saddest part to me, my friends are to put it simply "Less expendable" than people I don't know
If me and my friends were to be put in a life and death situation and one of them were to die I would feel nothing and probably start ransacking his shit in my mind I'm the only one that needs to live not because I am better but because I'm just like that.

 

[Pojo-san]

I guess I cant say anything since im part cyborg.....what a life

But since im part human ill say my intellegence to question life and my morality

How can you be part-"part-machine"? You're either a cyborg or you aren't!

He's a manbearpig!

Ahhhhh WHERE!

Also I guess im just part robot, with my arm being an robotic arm with knife, guns and a fart noises in it...

and dispenses cooked bacon...

 

[Chrysocollus]

I am human...because I can make mistakes...because I can make amends for them. Because I can do things I know will hurt me or others...or I can choose not to. Because I can take the feelings of another person, animal, or other things into account before I do something and then choose based on the effect I want to have.

...Or you could say it's because of genetics. So boring though.

if you were hungry in a jungle and you got your hands in a maquake you would kill it and eat it without thinking if it was the right thing to do

I think that has more to do with the fact I'm not morally opposed to eating animals, but y'know, whatever. >.>

 

[Pojo-san]

What do you think make us human? Do you think there is something unique about us or not, and if you do what? I'm asking from an anthropological and philosophical perspective, so please do not use religion.

I believe that we are human because of two reasons. The first is our entire way of life depends on fire. We use it to cook our food, to make our vehicles move, to make products, to keep us warm, and so on. On top of that we are the only species on the planet who can create and control fire. So using, making and controlling fire is part of what makes us human. My other reason is that someone long time ago decided to call us human. Our species needed a name so some decided to call us human. We could have been easily called dogs, cats, or octopi. We are only human because we call ourselves humans.

What do you guys think? What do you believe makes you human?

Edit: Yes, I know genetics make you human in a biological sense. Besides that, what else do you think makes you human? The biology and genetics arguments is getting rather dull.

As opposed to what? I mean, there's not really any debate value in thinking how we differ from things that are quite different from us, like rocks or pigeons, nor is there any real question there.

Also, your second point is silly, because it distantly implies that people speaking other languages aren't humans but rather menschen, cilvēki, lyud'i and so on.

I'm not implying whatsoever that people who speak any other language are not people or human. With all due respect, you are the one implying that not me. I have written it as human because that is what homo-sapiens are called in English. Obviously, other languages call homo-sapiens different things but they all mean the same thing regardless of what language you are using. If I wrote it in German then I would've said, "Wir sind auch nur Menschen, weil wir uns selbst Mensch genannt." Since I didn't I used human instead.

 

[Zyphonee]

The genetic answer is a pretty bland and flawed one, really. Imagine a new race was to be integrated to our society, one with completely different genes to ours, yet still completely capable of rational thought? Wouldn't that alternate race be a human too?

There are many factors that determine humans as homo sapiens (Latin for "sapient man"). We are a species that is able to differentiate itself from any other we know so far, we are not only capable of rational thought to solve presented challenges, but we also have the possibility to consider abstract or subjective scenarios; we can mentally project the outcome of a situation by examining the different variables, and apply this logic to extremely complex scenarios, such as politics and philosophy. It is the will to see how far we can stretch and apply this hability that keeps us humans growing, and making the gap between species bigger and bigger, furthermore reassuring our identity.

 

[Halceon]

I'm not implying whatsoever that people who speak any other language are not people or human. With all due respect, you are the one implying that not me. I have written it as human because that is what homo-sapiens are called in English. Obviously, other languages call homo-sapiens different things but they all mean the same thing regardless of what language you are using. If I wrote it in German then I would've said, "Wir sind auch nur Menschen, weil wir uns selbst Mensch genannt." Since I didn't I used human instead.

That's what you meant to say. Not necessarily what you did. However, that point is moot. Your point still is tautological - "A human is something that we call human".

 

[Kortney]

Our intellect.

 

[StormShaun]

I guess I cant say anything since im part cyborg.....what a life

But since im part human ill say my intellegence to question life and my morality

How can you be part-"part-machine"? You're either a cyborg or you aren't!

He's a manbearpig!

Ahhhhh WHERE!

Also I guess im just part robot, with my arm being an robotic arm with knife, guns and a fart noises in it...

and dispenses cooked bacon...

You just had to give out my secret mate, now everyone will want me bacon!