Originally posted by karoly aczelyes, that is a difference between man and animals. but then again, a chimp can also achieve so much more than a dung beetle can. or even what a cow can if you wish to keep it in the mammal family.
I dont think man should be lumped in with other animals. Clearly we are different. I'm not sure about the ocean and her creatures, but on land, man is definatly distinct from other mammals.
As far as I know man is the only species that has the potential to destroy most life on this planet. This implies a great deal and these implications surely set us apart from other mammals...
who is to say that if humans really went extinct several tens of thousands of years ago dolphins wouldn't have evolved into an aquatic civilizations. or if the big rock in the sky didn't hit earth and make dinos go dead the velociraptors wouldn't evolve into the intergalactic velociraptor empire?
we are really not that different from animals. we have impulses just like them, we just learned to temper some of them partially.
Originally posted by karoly aczelThere's a simple explanation for our difference from other animals - evolution. And this works just as well the other way around. From a chimpanzee's perspective (or an at or echidna or aardvark) there is nothing in the animal world quite like them.
No, the algae weren't consiously trying to destroy stuff. The people are. Thats my point. We have the concious ability to change our world that is way beyond that of the average mammal,no?
Yes we are built on animal foundations, but if you cant see the difference between us and the rest of the mammals on this planet...well I'm sure you can. I dont th ...[text shortened]... Yes, I could be wrong. Still I see no better explanation for our difference to other animals.
Each species is unique in some way.
Originally posted by twhiteheadOk. Back up.
Well then its not a very good point. Who exactly is consciously trying to destroy stuff?
[b]We have the concious ability to change our world that is way beyond that of the average mammal,no?
But why select that as a reason to differentiate us? Why not look at the ability to fly, or the ability to echolocate?
Yes we are built on animal founda ...[text shortened]...
What do you mean by panspermia? The definition I know would not fit with what you are saying.
First of all the fact that we have the POTENTIAL to destroy life on the planet is significant. I am looking at all the implications here. Obviously technology has played a large part.
I didn't say anyone was conciously trying to destroy the Earth.
I select "concious abilty to change our world" because that is my main focus. We have the ability to make life better for us and the plants and animals.
Whats echolocate?
We are unique. Even within our species and ,as Zhalanzi has pointed out, even with snowflakes and such. Again, I do think there is proof all around that we are different frm othe mammals. Surely you can see that.
My humble opinion of the emergence of humans as we know it is that during the course of "natural evolution" some outside agency (E.T's) has come along and manipulated the genetic stock to produce the people we have today.
Originally posted by ZahlanziYes,indeed. Note that I have distanced my arguement from sea creatures. Too many unknowns there for me.
yes, that is a difference between man and animals. but then again, a chimp can also achieve so much more than a dung beetle can. or even what a cow can if you wish to keep it in the mammal family.
who is to say that if humans really went extinct several tens of thousands of years ago dolphins wouldn't have evolved into an aquatic civilizations. or if t ...[text shortened]... m animals. we have impulses just like them, we just learned to temper some of them partially.
And yes a chimp is as much more intelligent than a dung beetle as a person is to a chimp.
I just think that the human population/intelligence has just about reached a critical mass where huge wholesale changes (for better or worse) are possible.
We wipe ourselves out with WW3 and life will start again.
We learn to unify the planet and live peacefully and harmoniously with the rest of the life here...well who knows?
I dont think most people can comprehend the sheer excellence that we can achieve.
Even in this divided,fear-filled world there is much that surprises me everyday. I cant begin to imagine how cool life could be.
Perhaps there was a "race" between species to get where we are, but now that we are here, we alone have the responsibilty to uphold and maintain a decent ,universal quality of existence for all life on the planet. We have become,(or are becoming), guardians of our planet, who make things happen more and more rather than have things happen to them.
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Originally posted by amannionYes all species are unique.
There's a simple explanation for our difference from other animals - evolution. And this works just as well the other way around. From a chimpanzee's perspective (or an at or echidna or aardvark) there is nothing in the animal world quite like them.
Each species is unique in some way.
Thats not the point here.
What other animal has the power to destroy the planet?
Do you see the significance of this or is it just another one of our unique qualities?
Originally posted by karoly aczelIt all depends what you mean by destroying the planet.
Yes all species are unique.
Thats not the point here.
What other animal has the power to destroy the planet?
Do you see the significance of this or is it just another one of our unique qualities?
We can't destroy the planet itself, but we certainly can destroy ourselves. Other forms of life will still carry on and evolve.
Originally posted by lauseyOrigonally I said man has the potential to destroy most life on this planet. Sorry, I didn't mean destroy the planet.
It all depends what you mean by destroying the planet.
We can't destroy the planet itself, but we certainly can destroy ourselves. Other forms of life will still carry on and evolve.
Other forms of life will carry on and evolve to where?...to the intelligence levels similar to that of modern humans? And then what? Where are we evolving to?
Originally posted by karoly aczelEvolution doesn't have an objective, so there isn't anything for life to strive towards. Natural selection will just keep "improving" life.
Origonally I said man has the potential to destroy most life on this planet. Sorry, I didn't mean destroy the planet.
Other forms of life will carry on and evolve to where?...to the intelligence levels similar to that of modern humans? And then what? Where are we evolving to?
If we were to drop nuclear bombs all over the planet, it is very likely macroscopic life like us, and many other animals will be wiped out.
There will still be plenty of microscopic life on land and at sea which will survive.
Nothing to stop other forms of life evolving to higher intelligence. After all, that is where we came from (I know many will disagree).
Originally posted by karoly aczelWe have some amazing properties and abilities, and our intelligence, which is clearly better than any other living thing has lead to some amazing results. But we are nevertheless biologically and even behaviorally very similar to other great apes. There really is no good reason to classify us in any special way from a scientific perspective.
Again, I do think there is proof all around that we are different frm othe mammals. Surely you can see that.
Originally posted by karoly aczelI wouldn't call that a quality at all, and it certainly isn't unique.
Yes all species are unique.
Thats not the point here.
What other animal has the power to destroy the planet?
Do you see the significance of this or is it just another one of our unique qualities?
There are many species that have the potential to destroy much life on Earth - bacteria, parasites and so on.
What's the usefulness or purpose in differentiating humans from other animals? What does it achieve?
Of course we're different, and of course we're similar.
But so what?
Originally posted by amannionI think its significant.(To differentiate between humans and other animals). It achieves better understanding of my place in the world, however it may be useless for you and thats fine.
I wouldn't call that a quality at all, and it certainly isn't unique.
There are many species that have the potential to destroy much life on Earth - bacteria, parasites and so on.
What's the usefulness or purpose in differentiating humans from other animals? What does it achieve?
Of course we're different, and of course we're similar.
But so what?
Like I said to TW, People have the potential to CONCIOUSLY destroy the Earth,as opposed to algae or whatever.
Please note (everyone) that I have been trying to be real careful with my wording here. Yes we do seem more intelligent, but my origonal point says that we have the potential to conciously destroy most life on this planet and that this separates us from other mammals.
Now if you cant agree with that in general,then.. we'll have to disagree🙂
Originally posted by twhiteheadThis is the spirituality forum,bub🙂
We have some amazing properties and abilities, and our intelligence, which is clearly better than any other living thing has lead to some amazing results. But we are nevertheless biologically and even behaviorally very similar to other great apes. There really is no good reason to classify us in any special way from a scientific perspective.
Originally posted by karoly aczelNo probs, let's disagree then.
I think its significant.(To differentiate between humans and other animals). It achieves better understanding of my place in the world, however it may be useless for you and thats fine.
Like I said to TW, People have the potential to CONCIOUSLY destroy the Earth,as opposed to algae or whatever.
Please note (everyone) that I have been trying to be ...[text shortened]... from other mammals.
Now if you cant agree with that in general,then.. we'll have to disagree🙂
Trying to find ways to distinguish me from other creatures is not something I feel the need to do ever. Obviously I'm a human and I recognise that fact, but I just don't need to find partitions that distinguish me from any other creature - the fact of my uniqueness is obvious, in much the same way as I am different from every other human.
Originally posted by amannionMy point is not about partitians, its about trying to furthur what it means to be human-something that cannot be adequately expressed in words.
No probs, let's disagree then.
Trying to find ways to distinguish me from other creatures is not something I feel the need to do ever. Obviously I'm a human and I recognise that fact, but I just don't need to find partitions that distinguish me from any other creature - the fact of my uniqueness is obvious, in much the same way as I am different from every other human.
I dont mean to be arguementative and i will let this go but I just wanted to reinterate: No other mammal has gone to ,( or is likely to goto) space (humans sent the chimp..and dog?).
Originally posted by karoly aczelI get what you're saying, but a dolphin might argue (if they could) that no other mammal can swim like I do, or an eagle might argue that no other mammal can see like I do.
My point is not about partitians, its about trying to furthur what it means to be human-something that cannot be adequately expressed in words.
I dont mean to be arguementative and i will let this go but I just wanted to reinterate: No other mammal has gone to ,( or is likely to goto) space (humans sent the chimp..and dog?).
The fact that we can build bombs and spaceships indicates that we are capable of doing some things differently to other animals sure, but beyond that?
I am interested in your question what it means to be human. I'm just interested in answering it from a more philosophical and introspective perspective than that we can do stuff differently to other animals.