The human (as) animal

[teknight]

I'm very interested in the "human animal." By that I mean, human beings, without the trappings of society and learned behaviors. I know that no such creature exists, and I realize that humans are social beings, and as such, a human being completely removed from society would cease to be 'fully human." I'm just trying to figure out what the essence of humanity is.

Any thoughts? Any books you might have read? Any articles that have caught your eyes?

 

[00Syd]

Awww... I thought this was going to be a petplay thread. Boo!

 

[teknight]

Awww... I thought this was going to be a petplay thread. Boo!

Ooops. Sorry about that. But maybe pet play would provide some enlightenment for my topic of interest?

 

[KoPilot]

Aww, and I thought I'd get the chance to talk about my pantherdragonwolf fursona.

 

[teknight]

Aww, and I thought I'd get the chance to talk about my pantherdragonwolf fursona.

As the OP, I say not much is off limits or thread jacking (at this point).
So, a dragon, a panther and a wolf walked into a bar...and got sloshed? Is that how the story begins?

 

[eastern sun]

Have you ever read "The Animal That Therefore I Am" by Derrida?

 

[hd8001]

I think the discovery channel or one of them that is like that had a program on once about children that were not raised in a society setting. It was pretty interesting as I recall.

 

[teknight]

Have you ever read "The Animal That Therefore I Am" by Derrida?

Homo Ludens is the only thing by the man that I've read.

 

[bhndblueyes88]

I think the discovery channel or one of them that is like that had a program on once about children that were not raised in a society setting. It was pretty interesting as I recall.

These stories are probably about as close to real-life examples of this subject as it gets, but they still beg the question I think.

What makes them so inhuman? They do communicate and can engage in socialization if those around them are accommodating and compassionate.

What DOES make us "human"? How would an alien xenobiologist define our behavior to his people?

I think I would sum Homo sapien as:

Human: A mostly hairless and fully bipedal ape specie engaging in a variety of societal behaviors centering around establishment of individual value and continuation of the society and/or specie, capable of intricate tool use, problem solving, and analytical questioning thought while remaining vulnerable to instinctual and emotional drives.

 

[teknight]

I think the discovery channel or one of them that is like that had a program on once about children that were not raised in a society setting. It was pretty interesting as I recall.

I know about feral children. Actually studied (a bit) about them in one of my Psych classes. There are developmental achievments that must be accomplished by a certain age, or you can never get them...This affects language....and maybe empathy?

 

[seela]

I know about feral children. Actually studied (a bit) about them in one of my Psych classes. There are developmental achievments that must be accomplished by a certain age, or you can never get them...This affects language....and maybe empathy?

Re: language - the story of Nicaraguan Sign Language is pretty darn amazing and tells cool things about people's language acquisition.

 

[rosco rathbone]

This just arrived from Amazon, haven't commenced to reading it yet:

http://books.google.com/books?id=XsrhU2vV5PIC&dq=chimpanzee+politics&source=gbs_navlinks_s

 

[bhndblueyes88]

I know about feral children. Actually studied (a bit) about them in one of my Psych classes. There are developmental achievments that must be accomplished by a certain age, or you can never get them...This affects language....and maybe empathy?

I don't think it would remove empathy as an emotion, but the empathy achieved would likely be akin to that between vastly different groups of people, or between humans and another specie. So a different kind of empathy?

 

[where]

I think de Saussure argued that it was language that makes us human, thogh of course there is recent research that suggests that some other animals have language too, which opens a whole can of ethical worms.

 

[lovebound]

Let me know when this gets to the part where I need my furry suit.

/end jacking

 

[teknight]

This just arrived from Amazon, haven't commenced to reading it yet:

http://books.google.com/books?id=XsrhU2vV5PIC&dq=chimpanzee+politics&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Monkey politics, huh? How's that different from regular politics?
Actually had a professor in college who was looking into monkey economics. What? He was a psychologist!

I don't think it would remove empathy as an emotion, but the empathy achieved would likely be akin to that between vastly different groups of people, or between humans and another specie. So a different kind of empathy?

They did express their empathy differently...if I recall correctly, they couldn't relate well with others....almost like autism... But I think it's possible I just pulled that outta my rear end too...

I think de Saussure argued that it was language that makes us human, thogh of course there is recent research that suggests that some other animals have language too, which opens a whole can of ethical worms.

Oh, lawd! Saussure and Derrida...what is this, my HS Romanian literature class?
I was not a fan.
See, I have issues with old school philosophers...but I've not yet formulated a good way of saying what my issues with them are, so I'll avoid a spanking, for now.

Let me know when this gets to the part where I need my furry suit.

/end jacking

For jacking, you have to don your suit NOW! Hehehe.

 

[where]

Monkey politics, huh? How's that different from regular politics?
Actually had a professor in college who was looking into monkey economics. What? He was a psychologist!

They did express their empathy differently...if I recall correctly, they couldn't relate well with others....almost like autism... But I think it's possible I just pulled that outta my rear end too...


Oh, lawd! Saussure and Derrida...what is this, my HS Romanian literature class?
I was not a fan.
See, I have issues with old school philosophers...but I've not yet formulated a good way of saying what my issues with them are, so I'll avoid a spanking, for now.

For jacking, you have to don your suit NOW! Hehehe.

not sure Derrida is considered 'old school', but kudos for doing them in high school.

 

[teknight]

not sure Derrida is considered 'old school', but kudos for doing them in high school.

*curtsies...in a manly fashion*
Thank you...I'd have liked it more if the whole thing had been more structured. That teacher, despite having a doctorate in literature, sucked (well, at being a teacher).

 

[where]

*curtsies...in a manly fashion*
Thank you...I'd have liked it more if the whole thing had been more structured. That teacher, despite having a doctorate in literature, sucked (well, at being a teacher).

I'd like a video of that please. and I'll show you a video of me on the great big hotel bed I'm on right now.

 

[teknight]

I'd like a video of that please. and I'll show you a video of me on the great big hotel bed I'm on right now.

Video of what, exactly?

 

[rosco rathbone]

Monkey politics, huh? How's that different from regular politics?
Actually had a professor in college who was looking into monkey economics. What? He was a psychologist!

Ever since I saw that famous video of the chimp fucking a frog in the mouth, I've been obsessed with the idea that you can learn all you need to know about men, from chimps.

 

[where]

Video of what, exactly?

video of you curtsying in a manly fashion

Ever since I saw that famous video of the chimp fucking a frog in the mouth, I've been obsessed with the idea that you can learn all you need to know about men, from chimps.

what, like interspecies sex?

 

[teknight]

video of you curtsying in a manly fashion



what, like interspecies sex?

You know, the second I figure out exactly what that looks like (the curtsying, not the interspecies stuff), I'll shoot video of it and put it on youtube. It will join the other video of me on youtube.

 

[rosco rathbone]

video of you curtsying in a manly fashion



what, like interspecies sex?

Interspecies oral rape more like it.

 

[00Syd]

Ever since I saw that famous video of the chimp fucking a frog in the mouth, I've been obsessed with the idea that you can learn all you need to know about men, from chimps.

Did the frog die?