What defines us as human?

Another very open-ended thread I'd like to start here: What defines us as human?

Simple enough question, many answers and many ways to look at it.

I'd like to leave this up for discussion instead of immediately stating my views, simply to make the thread about the question itself rather than about my answer.

My only thought....consciousness...my only proof that I or anything exists at all.

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
What defines us as human?

We do. Any way we like. That's what make us human.....ug!

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
What defines us as human?

contrast against what we think isn't human, perhaps.

Another very open-ended thread I'd like to start here: What defines us as human?

thousands of years ago "humanity" started domesticating wolves, and through thousands of years of genetically engineering them we "made" dogs, or had a hand in it. now dogs guard the sheep against the wolves. so, mankind domesticated and tamed wolves to the point we could turn them against wolves.

humans turned wolves against wolves, by domesticating and taming them.
who "domesticated" and "tamed" humanity? who succeeded in turning man against man?

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
What defines us as human?

i imagine what defines human is....

our actions and our behaviors, how we treat the least of ourselves.

our actions and behaviors are defined by our intentions.
our intentions are defined by our opinions.
our opinions are defined by our priorities ....

what are your priorities? how many mandatory expectations (laws/priorities) are there?

do you know how many laws/priorities there are? can you tell me what they are word for word?
do you participate in a system where you pay more taxes to pay more people to make more laws? ( before you realize you are not going to live long enought to learn the existing ones?) that sounds sane. let's pay people to make more laws to combat the existing laws we don't know, and they don't (can't) enforce.

being human may be in part defined by being insane.

who domesticated & tamed humanity?

Merriam-Webster Definitition of Human

That is a very hard question to answer. Everyone will have a different answer and it would seem we could all be correct. I believe in human nature. As a huge history buff you get plenty of different type of people defining famous people throughout history. I don't see the world in black and white. I see the world as it was here before and it is our survival to take care of the planet.

We define ourselves us as human
We are human
We define ourselves
Should we be able to define ourselves?

Dogs dont plan next thursday at 9 am.
Roses dont recognize crab grass.
Chickens dont care if youre sad.
Maple trees dont laugh at jokes.
Crows dont hate.
Catfish dont fall in love.

Freewill, reasoning and The love for American football are all that can come to mind at the moment.

What defines us as human?

We define ourselves, we choose the attributes we think make us human.. or a good human for those who wish to judge others.

For me, our opposable thumb is what sets us apparently above other species here. Without it our tool making may not have advanced far past using sticks to prod ants out of their nests, and dropping coconuts from tress to break them open.

But, I also see human beings as just another form of animal life in this planet, yet Humans see themselves as the highest lifeform, the most intelligent, the best at everything via having dominion over the animals.. based on cultural indoctrination.

And yet we have to be one of the stupidest lifeforms on the planet because we live in a non-sustainable way and poison everything we touch without a second thought.. and if we do have a second thought there is always some Expert ready to tell us we are Wrong.

I don't see Birds, Fish, Wild Animals etc doing that. They are just being themselves and it is we who try to change what we are to fit our an unbalanced eogtistic perception of Superiority.

reply to post by madnessinmysoul

What defines us as human?
I would have to say that the majority are not human in a seance the way the people of the world are pawing and scratching just like animals in a cage.
from war to the rumors of war hunger and famine and cultures killing others just because who they prey to or for what color of skin they have.
Just like in a pride of lions you have the soft and kind nurturing of small cubs but when its meal time its kill or be killed.
Like I said just like animals in a cage.

reply to post by madnessinmysoul


What defines us as human?

Creativity

Humour

Empathy

Culture


......

Our thoughts and actions... IMO

reply to post by HappilyEverAfter

Originally posted by HappilyEverAfter
Dogs dont plan next thursday at 9 am.
Roses dont recognize crab grass.
Chickens dont care if youre sad.
Maple trees dont laugh at jokes.
Crows dont hate.
Catfish dont fall in love.

Are you sure? Can you prove that? With the exception of the dog planning its day since time is an abstract concept invented by humans, the others are plausible and actually likely.


Plants Can Recognize, Communicate With Relatives, Studies Find
Do animals have emotions

Let's be honest.

We are Human because we like to kill stuff

Cruelty is our way.

reply to post by madnessinmysoul


I'm of the school that your actions define you as a human being.

IMO defining ourselves as human beings is more of large scale thing then if we were discussing defining ourselves as people.

Majority rule mentality would lead me to believe that this time around, we aren't doing a very good job of being decent "human beings". Of course there is a lot of good in human beings, the problem is that we focus on the negative therefore creating an ever increasingly negative environment.

Just my thoughts.

~Keeper

Oooo, Oooo, Oooo... I think I know this one...

Is it ....., err. .... wait..

uh,,,,, it's on the tip of my tongue...

Oh, never mind

Originally posted by Three_moons
reply to post by HappilyEverAfter

 

Originally posted by HappilyEverAfter
Dogs dont plan next thursday at 9 am.
Roses dont recognize crab grass.
Chickens dont care if youre sad.
Maple trees dont laugh at jokes.
Crows dont hate.
Catfish dont fall in love.

Are you sure? Can you prove that? With the exception of the dog planning its day since time is an abstract concept invented by humans, the others are plausible and actually likely.


Plants Can Recognize, Communicate With Relatives, Studies Find
Do animals have emotions

I am not denying that all life has a cummulative effect.
I cannot prove without a doubt, my statements, but I feel pretty sure of them.
As a human, I wish that the money and resources that go into studies would be directly spent on more immediate forms of aid and assistance though.
Remember, this question is answered with an opinion.
I dont believe my dog, roses, trees, chickens, or the crows in my corn, or the catfish in my pond have any.
No, I cant prove they dont.

Oy vey... I'm not asking for a simple statement of opinion here people. This is a philosophy forum, philosophy isn't the statement of an opinion, it's the logical exploration of ideas in the world through abstraction and example.
Also, a lot of you are answering the question "Who defines us as human?" instead of "What defines us as human?"


I'll show an example of doing some philosophy and answering the question appropriately:

What defines us as human?
Well, you can look at the question from several angles.

"What is unique among humanity?" would be the first one people would go for, but does that define us as human? Are we really nothing more than a set of traits independent from those of other species? Many on here have used something like 'consciousness' to define us as human, but that ignores the possibility of conscious non-humans. To make things easier I'll use the term 'sapience' instead of 'consciousness', as consciousness is an abstract concept whereas sapience is something that could be observed.

Well, instead of looking at the biological aspect of humanity, why not look at the other thing that sets us apart, mainly what we're doing now. We communicate in ways more varied and detailed than any other species. But that doesn't create something unique, as another sapient species would be able to perform this same feat.

Possibly the answer we're looking for is to a question that is a non-starter: There is no defining feature of humanity that is unique. Being 'human' is just a reduction of 'being sapient' on this planet in a world without other sapient species.


That's just a start.

Come on, philosophize

Humans try to control other humans responses.
Humans think everything has to mean something.
Humans use philosophy.
Cats dont knit.
Birds dont punch a time clock.
Being is relative.
Perception is opinion.
I can alter my environment.
Lizards cant build fires.

reply to post by madnessinmysoul


What defines us as human is "God" + nature + self-awareness + materialism.

Nature is everything and we are part of that, naturally.

Self-awareness is a gift that not many beings on Earth share. Dolphins, whales, crows, chimpanzees, elephants, and humans. Self-awareness is an intelligent capacity. There are two kinds of intelligence that we know of. Knowledge and wisdom.

Materialism is a human creation. We surround ourselves in material things to further the separation of us from nature and ultimately from God (the one in my signature). Materialism is directly responsible for what is called the ego. Read here---> www.abovetopsecret.com...

Consequently we as efficiently as possible harness our self-aware intelligent capacity in the aspect of knowledge through materialism, so materialism isn't all bad. Or is it? Depends on which path you choose. Personally, I want wisdom.