Is Man a Human or an Animal?

[Irishdragon]

I bring this up because one of differences people use to differentiate animals from humans is the concept of instinct...animals have them humans do not. But what if out instincts have evolved into emotions....Think of the most primative emotion...Fear...The fight or flight pattern. What if all the emotions that we sometimes have trouble expressing are a direct result of the fact that they are still evolving? So my question to all of you guys out there has man evolved to shuch an extent that he can no longer be classified as an animal, he is now a human..with a greater capacity for knowledge, love, peace. Have you been watching the news? Because It seems we may not be as evolved as we think we are!!

 

[Firesprite]

Humans are still animals and still have instinct, though we don't uses it as much as other animals. If something (a fist for instance) comes flying towards your face, you duck. That is instinct and reflex - in this example they are the same. Humans depend much more on their tools of technology than instincts now, but everyone has heard of "gut feelings" and "hunches" that is often also instinct. other examples are becoming complacent in winter - a survival instinct to preserve fat and stay warm.

Going back to your argument, yes these instincts are based on fear, but I don't think that fear is something you can evolve out of. If we evolved and left fear behind, we'd be dead in the water.

I don't think it is possible to outgrow being an animal, we just become more sophisticated animals.

 

[Lost Cause]

I enjoy my animal side! It's my best defense in a tense situation, and I'm not afraid to use it! When someone says "civilized" I picture a flock of sheep. When one gets picked off, the others flinch and keep going, never looking back. I get off getting in the wolf's face and backing him down. It's good to be the Alpha male! Have you ever flinched violently while drifting off to sleep? That's your animal side keeping you sleeping lightly, so the wolves don't get too close. You can run, but you can't hide from your personal animal!
**It seems that tyrants spring from populations who think themselves above their animal selves, and can rationalize genocide.**

 

[Irishdragon]

Two very good replies

 

[Guest]

I would say we're animals. We try to fool ourselves with our technology, our 'art', our minds, but hell, even my dog knows how to open the refridgerator. Animals fight for turf, people do too. Animals go rabid, so do people--though usually it's by harming people for our own fucked up reasons. We're a strange mix, people. We can compose songs that make people laugh or cry, we can make movies and paint pictures that do the same. But we can also blow up countries with bombs no larger than an oven. We've got so much potential, but I don't think we'll get to see how much. If we don't melt ourselves in the next 20 years, we'll be in space. And with the way we conduct ourselves, treat others, do you think that alien civilizations want us out there? Not likely. So I'd say we're animals, trying to be 'human.'

 

[RastaPope]

Shit, that was me.

 

[GreenEyedGirl]

Homo sapiens are animals. We simply attempt to distance ourselves in a vain attempt at supremacy. We dislike the thought that we are base creatures, that our civilizations are little more than glorified structured societies like the chimps, or the dolphins, etc.
So yes, animals we are, and animals we will always be, even if we truly do evolve.

 

[xMorganx]

"You and me baby ain't nothin but mamals so lets do it like they do on the discovery channel."

This sums it up pretty good. we are mammals which is an animal. If you watch enough documentrys on TLC and discovery you can easly compare some human traits and those of other animals. our only diference is, is that we have advanced our species over time and we have really neet oposable thumbs!

 

[sigh]

we're both human and animal...i don't see the two as exclusive of each other

animal instinct? you bet we have instinct...go over to KM's thread about losing her son (temporarily) and you'll get a taste of instinct...all mammals have an extreme attachment to their offspring and we're certainly no different...threaten my child and you'll experience the threat of ME

i think the human piece of us comes not so much from anything different that we have...we're discovering that other animals are social and use lanuguage and tools and all those things we once thought were ours alone, but it's the degree of separation that makes us stand apart...our tool use is enormous compared to a chimp who strips a twig to fish out termites and our language is complex enough to engage in what we're doing right now

no other species comes close

 

[Irishdragon]

can we evolve into humans?

 

[naudiz]

Is there anything wrong with being an animal?

I mean hey, we're animals, but it beats being fungus. What have they ever done for anyone? Plants might be on to something, though...

Animals. Advanced animals with opposable thumbs, but animals all the same. It's not either/or. It isn't human vs. animals. One is the other. You may as well ask is that thing on your breakfast cereal a banana or fruit.

 

[Mellon Collie]

Clean out el PM box.

Sheesh Mr. Popularity.

 

[Irishdragon]

I think if we classify Humans as an "evolved" animal, we open the door to the fact that one day we will no longer be the dominant species on the face of the planet. If the world has showed us anything over time it has been the reality of mass extinctions. Every dominant species on this planet has been destroyed in a mass extinction...either natural...or man-made, which begs the question will we be the victims of a man-made extinction? I think if we were human (utilizing our knowledge and "moral" capacity) No, but if we are true animals then I think we may be screwed.

 

[RhumbRunner13]

Say, what.....

"Every dominant species on this planet has been destroyed in a mass extinction...either natural...or man-made,"

Not to argue that some extinctions have been caused by "Homo Sapien", but when was the Do-Do the "dominate" species?

Rhumb

 

[naudiz]

I have no idea who you were talking to, MC, but my PM box is now empty.

Huzzah!

 

[Ishmael]

I think if we classify Humans as an "evolved" animal, we open the door to the fact that one day we will no longer be the dominant species on the face of the planet. If the world has showed us anything over time it has been the reality of mass extinctions. Every dominant species on this planet has been destroyed in a mass extinction...either natural...or man-made, which begs the question will we be the victims of a man-made extinction? I think if we were human (utilizing our knowledge and "moral" capacity) No, but if we are true animals then I think we may be screwed.

You're conclusions are invalid with the possible exception of the mass extiction during the pre-cambrian.

There is evidence, albeit still debated, that the ancestors of the dinosuars are with us today.

As for Homo Sapien, Yes, we will evolve or die as a specie. We will not destroy ourselves. The will to survive is far to strong. But Mother Nature abhors dead ends. Move up, or move out.

Ishmael

 

[Irishdragon]

My bad...I used the term mass extintion a little to freely

 

[RhumbRunner13]

can we evolve into humans?

Irish, are you thinking somehow that we haven’t already? I'm serious, not being "flip" here. Is there a vast difference to you in "human", some existential being, and "homo sapien" the species we are?

Are you questioning our ability to transcend nature and become something "higher" than nature?

Rhumb

 

[Guest]

Man is animal. Emotions get in the way to the realization of instinct, but it's still there.

 

[RhumbRunner13]

Re: Re: Is Man a Human or an Animal?

Man is animal. Emotions get in the way to the realization of instinct, but it's still there.

........and I'm not sure that man (homo sapien) is the only species capable of emotion, but I still want an answer or opinion on my previous post.

Rhumb

 

[Irishdragon]

My question was for those who think that man is just an animal. If he is an animal can he evolve into a human. I am of the opinion that man has at least attempted to understand his environment, where he came from and most importantly his "rolr" on the earth. The fact that he has made this attempt I think shows that man is a higher form of animal and that just comes from his mental ability. To develop into a human being I think requires man to "marry" his mental ability with his emotional capability (Please forgive the bad spellings) which I think would require every human being to have a moral responsability, built into their subconc, to every other human being. I don't know if all of us have that right now and so I don't know if all of us can be considered "true" human beings. Can those that don't care about anyone else, lack humanity...ect, can they evolve those traits or is it something you are born with?

I may have just rambled a little too much there

 

[Irishdragon]

I hope that makes a little sense...

 

[Tremolo]

Maybe Its just me who doesn't get this concept.

Man is an animal. We are in the kingdom animalia.

We can't evolve into "human," we are the species homo sapiens we have already evolved into that capacity. We can never evolve out of the animal category.

I think you are trying to ask what separates us from the animals, is that right?

Well, there are a couple of things. Our ability to reason and our ability to have language (other animals communicate, but none have language- possibly a contentious point but I'll make it.)

I guess anatomically what makes us different is our superiorly developed forebrain. That gives us characteristics that animals don't have.

I hope that is what you were asking.

Tremolo

 

[RhumbRunner13]

Irish,

You've got some interesting questions going, but aren't you dancing around the concept of man losing instinct and replacing it with morality? Can morality evolve, and to what level? Can man lose all his instincts, or should He?

RhumbRunner

 

[BrownEyes26]

Man is an animal. We are the only animal that has been proven to have sentience. That makes us think that we are important than the other animals that we share the planet with.

The size of a man's frontal cortex allows him to develop morals and consciousness, which other animals are not known to have. So it was through evolution that man became moral...it allows for greater perpetuation of the species (at least in some ways).