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| Topic: How are animals so different from humans? | |
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"So what separates humans from animals?" Well, humans are animals, aren't we? Of the Hominid Species, actually. We are differentiated from other animals by the size of our brain, opposable thumbs, bipedalism, and that we forge tools. We also create art and infrastructure, ponder the meaning of life, and as the character, Clairee Belcher in the movie Steel Magnolias so succinctly asserts, "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." I've seen elephants and chimps paint. Doesn't that count as art? All animals differ physically. How do you know animals don't ponder the meaning of life? Have you spoken with one lately? |
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Someone asked what the point of this discussion is, and I guess I am wondering the same thing. Are we asking: what are the implications of accepting the belief that other animal species have self-awareness? Do we think this belief should influence our relationships with other animals? Do you think we should re-examine whether or not we should eat them, use them to make lipstick and a multitude of other commercial products?
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If there is one thing I have learned from posting these forums, it is that where a conversation begins is usually quite different from where it goes and where it ends. I leave interpretations up to each individual.
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Edited by
BillySuvol
on
Sun 05/03/09 01:33 PM
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I always wondered if an animal wakes up, looks around and says to itself "damnit I'm still a cat" and then goes back to sleep in hopes it wakes up as something different. 
Lol too funny
That is a discussion I'd like to have. Talk about philosophy 101 
back to the "thread" - If you want to argue that humans aren't the dominant species thats one thing. If you want to say other species are progressing thats another. I don't need any examples from any websites to prove my claim and I won't go find any. Bottom line is this...in the sea....the bigger fish eats the smaller ones...but there are still lots of small ones...its just the way of life So what exactly is the point you are trying make? It isn't very clear from your statement. 
Guess what I'm saying is that "science" and philosophy are two different things. I believe more in the "philosphy" of life. Thats who and how I am. Science wise....I just think arguing over whether animals or humans are "dominant" is a more philosophical discussion than a "scientific" one. Meaning the idea of the thread was taken out of context. One person was saying "one thing" the first response swayed the idea of the thread. My original response was saying that they could have come up with a better example for their claim. By that time the thread already turned into something totally different than it was meant and I decided that it was pointless to keep it on "topic" since the topic was gone. More or less what I am saying is that "humans" and "animals" are not much alike...but a discussion about their similarities would be very very intriguing...however it is only a discussion with no "right or wrong" answers. Making it more "philosophical" than "scientific." Which lead to a recent post of mine..asking why "Science and Philosophy" are in the same community.
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..animals are a better species,they wear the coat of what they are,people on the other hand can wear many coats..from a good person to a murderer..they dont have a coat by which you can distinguish what it is you are dealing with ... 
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The complexity of our language and all that arose as a result of it...
That is the difference! 
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Are animals pre-humans?
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Are animals pre-humans?
Good question... Perhaps, and perhaps we are post-animal... 
We also do not allow the strongest survive clause of nature... We protect our weakest links! That is most probably a result of ethics/morals which arise from language and judgement. |
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What makes us different from animals is that we want to know "WHY" we ask questions and look for the answers.
I believe that is the trait that made this primate (humans) grow apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. |
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"So what separates humans from animals?" Well, humans are animals, aren't we? Of the Hominid Species, actually. We are differentiated from other animals by the size of our brain, opposable thumbs, bipedalism, and that we forge tools. We also create art and infrastructure, ponder the meaning of life, and as the character, Clairee Belcher in the movie Steel Magnolias so succinctly asserts, "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." I've seen elephants and chimps paint. Doesn't that count as art? All animals differ physically. How do you know animals don't ponder the meaning of life? Have you spoken with one lately? Animals definitely ponder the meaning of life, just look in this forum. If the question was instead how are we different from other mammals, then I think the jury it out. Its pretty tough research the know the mind of a critter you cant communicate with. If the question is how do we differ from other non mammal branches of the animal kingdom then its more of a taxonomic question, and should have little to do with what a critter is thinking. |
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A dog does not lknow it's own name. It knows that when it hears a certain sound, then it is supposed to come to the owner... Stimulus response. Yeh, that's such a BS comment! Gimme a break. A dog knows it's own name as much as we do. If you have 2 people named Kay and Jay, and someone yells "Kay" out in a crowd, BOTH will turn their head to look. Does that mean they don't know their own name?! Everyone responds to sounds, human and animal. If we didn't, there'd be no vocalizing necessary. Heck, out of 13 goats, I can call one name, and only that one will respond. Ditto with the calves, and the chickens. |
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A dog does not lknow it's own name. It knows that when it hears a certain sound, then it is supposed to come to the owner... Stimulus response. Yeh, that's such a BS comment! Gimme a break. A dog knows it's own name as much as we do. If you have 2 people named Kay and Jay, and someone yells "Kay" out in a crowd, BOTH will turn their head to look. Does that mean they don't know their own name?! Everyone responds to sounds, human and animal. If we didn't, there'd be no vocalizing necessary. Heck, out of 13 goats, I can call one name, and only that one will respond. Ditto with the calves, and the chickens. GOATS! Ha...and pigs <----sorry that was stupid But for real...I agree with you...this thread is just way off....The original concept just was thrown off and unfortunately that happens once in a while |
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Edited by
smiless
on
Thu 05/07/09 12:24 PM
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I drove once through the country site and a group of cows walked across the road. I had to stop.
One cow didn't move and just stood there blocking the road. So I took my head out of the window and screamed moooooooooooooooooooveee the only thing happend is the cow moooooooooooooeddd back at me. Eventually it took a huge dump and moved. So it had to stop to take a dump real quick. lol I figure maybe he was making a statement about roads in general
I sure wish I knew the cows name. I would have said move Joe I am late for a meeting
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A dog does not lknow it's own name. It knows that when it hears a certain sound, then it is supposed to come to the owner... Stimulus response. Yeh, that's such a BS comment! Gimme a break. A dog knows it's own name as much as we do. If you have 2 people named Kay and Jay, and someone yells "Kay" out in a crowd, BOTH will turn their head to look. Does that mean they don't know their own name?! Everyone responds to sounds, human and animal. If we didn't, there'd be no vocalizing necessary. Heck, out of 13 goats, I can call one name, and only that one will respond. Ditto with the calves, and the chickens. GOATS! Ha...and pigs <----sorry that was stupid But for real...I agree with you...this thread is just way off....The original concept just was thrown off and unfortunately that happens once in a while I have 3 PGPigs, and they each answer to their own names. Mandrake is a snot, and will ignore you untill you threaten not to feed her, but the others are no problem. It's why I don't believe in changing an animals name when I take it in as a rescue. Would one really re-name a kid if one adopted him/her?!?! Really now - Hey Jimmy, your parents sucked at naming you, so we've decided not only a new last name, but we're changing your name to Samuel. Smiless - cows are rather chatty critters. Really! Totally strange cows will talk back, which is hilariously funny. |
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Has anyone read any books by Jeffrey Mousarieff Masson? It's a whole group of books based on the emotions and attitudes of animals, that normally fall under *gasp* anthropomorphisising (sp). REALLY good group of books!
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Humans are not the only creatures who are self-aware. Thus far, there is evidence that bottlenose dolphins, some apes, and elephants have the capacity to be self aware. Recent studies from the Goethe University Frankfurt show that Magpies may also possess self-awareness. Common speculation suggests that some other animals are self-aware. Self awareness is assessed by a test that attempts to gauge self-awareness by determining whether an animal can recognize its own reflection in a mirror as an image of itself. This is accomplished by surreptitiously marking the animal with two odorless dye spots. The test spot is on a part of the animal that would be visible in front of a mirror, while the control spot is in an accessible but hidden part of the animal's body. Scientists observe the animal reacts in a manner consistent with it being aware that the test dye is located on its own body while ignoring the control dye. Such behavior might include turning and adjusting of the body in order to better view the marking in the mirror, or poking at the marking on its own body with a limb while viewing the mirror.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-awareness Humans no longer possess the sole claim to self-awareness, the most often used argument to calm human superiority in the animal kingdom. Animals have communication, society, memory, self-awareness and even rhythm (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1175669/Meet-Snowball-cockatoo-born-boogie-Parrots-rhythm-just-like-humans.html. So what is it that separates humans from animals? As far as I know, humans are the only ones able to build skyscrapers, technology, etc. these are what seperate us. We control and adapt our enviorment to us, animals adapt to the enviorment. |
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Animals don't kill out of spite or hate, they don't rape or pillage, they don't bomb civilians, and they don't commit mass genocide...animals are far better than humans, humans just won't admit it.
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As far as I know, humans are the only ones able to build skyscrapers, technology, etc. these are what seperate us. We control and adapt our enviorment to us, animals adapt to the enviorment. Oooh, skyscrapers and technology - based on how animals have built their places (termites, spiders, etc) Adapting to the environment?! Well, I'd have to disagree considering the sheer amount of whining, crying and screaming going on when Katrina hit, the floods along the Mississippi, and the fires in California. We've done a crappy job "controlling" that, and instead people are bilked out of billions of dollars to cover other parts of the country by the insurance companies. I'd say we are more prone to stupidity, and get away with it, because of the sheer amount of people covering others arses. |
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Animals don't kill out of spite or hate, they don't rape or pillage, they don't bomb civilians, and they don't commit mass genocide...animals are far better than humans, humans just won't admit it. Not totally true. Dolphins have been known to rape, and apes and chimps will go to war. |
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What nobody loved my cow story a few posts up??
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