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David Miao
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What does it mean to be human?
December 5, 2006 - 02:38 AM
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What does it mean to be human?
What do you need to have or to understand to be human?
How would you define being Human to be?
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Owulezi
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 5, 2006 - 02:25 PM
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To be human means to love your neighbor as yourself.
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Rajesh
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 5, 2006 - 03:50 PM
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Hmmmm. Good one. For me, human means to love eacher and to accept the existence of others. Human means imperfection, so don't expect too much than s/he can do. At last, human means forgiveness, love and kindness.
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That guy
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 5, 2006 - 06:51 PM
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Interesting philosophical problem!
Somebody already mentioned love, which possibly the most important but not unique to humans. Have you ever owned a cat or a dog? If so, there is no need for me to explain further.
What really sets humans apart is large brain-to-body size ratio. No other species in the history of the Earth has had science or technology. Agriculture, antibiotics, computers, and probes to other planets are all absolutely unique to our species (OK, leafcutter ants harvest fungus and chimps use sticks to get termites out of their mounds...) Reason may not sound quite as poetic as love, but without it we would all just be another variety of primate, only specialized as upright endurance hunters.
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Allen
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 5, 2006 - 11:21 PM
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Love, forgiveness, hate... a great deal of social animals are capable of those sentiments. As for the brain to body ratio, if we'd discover an animal with a higher ratio than us, would we stop being human? would this new race be more human than us?
To define what is human, you need to find a caracteristic that is exclusive to us. And here it is. Its the fact that we wear pants.
No, seriously, in my opinion, what makes us human is our ability to project ourselves into others, its our unmatched ability to generate sympathy and empathy. And it is from those qualities that we derive all morals, and, as such, our conviviality.
Another important point would be our ability to plan ahead, to project ourselves into the future. But the pants answer is pretty good, too.
This post was edited on: 2006-12-05 at 11:21 PM by: Iggore
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Hayk
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 6, 2006 - 11:57 AM
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What is it like to be a bat? is a classical work, although not originally his, by Thomas Nagel, which shed some light on such such "uniquely" human things as consciousness and mind, and where he expounds how it is to feel like anything, and as an example takes a bat. His discussion at length very studiously and honestly shows that there is nothing similar to what it feels to be a bat.
A similar feelings is for any human, and any other animal in the nature.
I highly recoomend this shrewd and highly readable work for people who like to have an unconventional but rather very enlightning view about such philosophical issues.
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Cherrie
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 8, 2006 - 04:39 PM
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I thought dolphins had a higher brain to body mass ratio. Anyway, I think perhaps the point wvanbok was making was that we have been capable to manipulating our surroundings and environment in ways that no other living thing has been able to, thus instead of having to adapt as much, we can adapt things to our needs.
Human nature is a peculiar thing. Some people believe a general description of humanity can be obtained, while some don't. Today I'm inclined to think that perhaps humanity is about a level of selfishness that we have to work through and learn to ignore.
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dromarof
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 9, 2006 - 09:03 AM
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Interesting thread. In my opinion, humans have the ability to be virtuous. Moreover, The ability to practice self control, is the advantage of humans over other species. Unfortunately, humans invented one more characteristic to be differentiated from animals, the ability to destroy each other. An animal as stupid as a chicken, never tried to invent new ways to kill other chickens, but humans did it!!!!
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Alan Thomas
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 10, 2006 - 08:20 PM
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dromarof wrote:
An animal as stupid as a chicken, never tried to invent new ways to kill other chickens, but humans did it!!!!
While this may be true--and oh how I KNOW it's true--chickens still do have their whole "Pecking order" mentality where they fight for social position and don't really care what happens to others beneath them. I usually relate this somewhat to a form of prejudice (not racism) among chickens, oddly enough.
As you mentioned, there is that additional trait that we as humans share: The ability to change and be individual... Just as there are violent humans, there are non-violent; for each of those who strongly oppose one thing, there's always someone who supports, and even though many are still ruled by their imaginary, omni-potent, omni-present and invisible overseer and/or friend, there are still many who are nothing like those who they're placed under the category of.
...Just because you fit the description doesn't mean you fit the position...
This post was edited on: 2006-12-10 at 08:24 PM by: convivial
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Anu maheshwari
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 10, 2006 - 11:42 PM
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Some time ago I had seen this documentary on Nat Geo ( I am not sure about the channel) about a lioness who adopted an Oryx calf.
Have a look !
Lioness who lay down with the antelope
By Adrian Blomfield in Nairobi
(Filed: 08/01/2002)
A BROODY lioness baffled wildlife experts in Kenya by adopting an oryx calf - usually a lion's cherished delicacy.
Tourists at the Samburu game reserve in the country's Northern Frontier District witnessed the rare spectacle of a frail brown antelope, still unsteady on its feet, walking side by side or lying curled up under the belly of its adoptive mother.
The lioness with her adopted oryx calf. When the lioness went to take a nap, the oryx was caught by a lion and killed.
The lioness even warned off a leopard that had been stalking the young prey. The lioness had apparently chased away the oryx's natural mother, according to wardens in the park.
Cases of lionesses showing maternal affection for young animals that they would normally see as prey are not unprecedented, according to experts. The RSPCA said yesterday that cases of animals nurturing different species were rare, but only because the opportunity did not present itself often.
Helen Briggs, a spokesman, said: "According to our wildlife experts, the maternal instinct of the lioness would have taken over in this case.
Vincent Kapeen, a nature expert, said that the lioness may have adopted the calf because it had lost the company of its pride and was feeling lonely. "What is baffling is why the relationship lasted so long," he added.
Tragedy struck when the lioness, weakened by a lack of food after a fortnight protecting the baby, led the oryx to the river to drink. "By bad luck a male lion was somewhere behind the bushes," said Patrick Muriungi, who works at the reserve.
"When the lioness went to take a nap, the baby oryx was playing around and it was caught by the lion and killed. The lioness was very angry. She went around the lion about 10 times roaring and then disappeared.
"Then the lion took the carcass and ate half of it. The lioness has not been seen since."
Daphne Sheldrick, a conservationist based in Kenya who is renowned for caring for orphaned young animals, said motherly instinct prevailed on the part of the lioness.
read on ........
its just amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess humans are not the only ones capable of change !
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David Miao
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 11, 2006 - 10:26 PM
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To be human for me means so much more than the ability to change, and it means more than to have intellectual abilities. It is the fact that humans can communicate, join together to put forward an united front. The fact that when we do not agree with something we voice our opinion. The fact that when we see others in pain or anguish we lend a hand. This is what seperates human from other animals.
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Alan Thomas
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 12, 2006 - 10:25 AM
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Hm... Well, I suppose there is also the human quality of Creativity. We're one of the only beings on the planet to use other things to form another thing without having to need that which we create for survival. Be it by paterns and arrangement, music, physical drawings, spoken word, or written word, we're all creative in some way, shape, or form...
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Anu maheshwari
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Re: What does it mean to be human?
December 13, 2006 - 04:32 AM
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I think humans have got a very advanced form of communication which helps us in learning, communicating and having a better chance of survival.
But again , apart from all the other physical characteristics which puts us on the topmost rung of the evolutionary ladder, I think the word 'human' refers to the sense of morality and other philosophical dimensions that the Human beings have acquired.
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