Are humans special?

Originally posted by debbiejo
Oh, I've read Skinner, but what I am getting at is that people feel we are MORE SPECIAL than anything else. We aren't.

I think the word you are looking for is superior or better, or something like that, which I would agree with you on. We don't have any "human" quality that makes us morally or universally better than animals. We are special though 🙂

Originally posted by debbiejo
If you looked at it from a different view, we are pretty stupid with all that we use our minds for. We are supposed to be leaders of this world, well we're doing a smash up job, eh?

lol, im not so much of a pessimist

compared to even 100 years ago, the world is a much better place. Maybe not in africa....

I am not such a pessimist's either, but see the reality of Mindful powers at play. I believe that WE ARE ALL SPECIAL...Damn the hypocrisy, damn the religious, damn the institutions, damn the socialized or not governments, damn everything that doesn't sat we ARE.

Originally posted by inimalist
I don't think any real dissection of "special" is needed.

By humans being special it does not mean that other animals are not, and special does not necessarily mean "best" or even "good".

And yes, humans do get to define what "special" is. Might not a complex system of abstract symbolic representation that allows for such philosophical discussion surrounding the nature of that representation be special?

I don't see the label "special" as being a matter of worth, nor do I think there is any real value in arguing about the subjective interpretation of the "worth" of humanity as a species vs other species.

I agree, actually. Though again, this sentence: Might not a complex system of abstract symbolic representation that allows for such philosophical discussion surrounding the nature of that representation be special? ....is again having to define the term before answering the question. I could easily define it so that the answer is "no" (and did, earlier). So this is almost a moot discussion.

But yes, by that criteria (and most criteria, if we use a suitably vague premise for the word) we're all quite special due to our advanced cognitive capabilities.

Be specific... SPECIAL could mean a variation of things.

All humans are special. We're unique and determinate. That's special.

Ok people forget the word "special". Special was too broad a term to use. I am sticking with does our intelligence make us the most important?

Obvoulsy other creatures are important as well and without some creatures we would die, but I dont see how other creatures on this planet are important as us when we have the potential power to destroy life on earth, advance life on earth (genetic egineeering) and have the power to become independent from earth.

Cool. Now we can dicker over "important." 🤘

Originally posted by Mindship
Cool. Now we can dicker over "important." 🤘

😂 Well I think its better than the term "special", I think there are clear raesons that you could give that could indicate this.

It's a subjective question regardless of definition.

important is much less useful than special. Special does not necessarily have a value judgement (it can mean unique, different, ect). However, for important, each one of us will have such massivly differant interpretations of what characteristics are analyzed when determining importance that there is pretty much no chance of a consensus.

My personal opinion is that we are the most important, but that simply comes from the fact that, should another sentient lifeform arrive on earth, all things being equal, we are likely the most important discovery on the planet, and certainly the most important species to interact with. But then, I may be anthropomorphizing aliens a little too much.

Originally posted by Alfheim
Ok people forget the word "special". Special was too broad a term to use. I am sticking with does our intelligence make us the most important?

Originally posted by DigiMark007
It's a subjective question regardless of definition.

Yes...but this reminds me of when you said that selfish and unselfish were subjective terms as well. True but....

Humans have the potential power to destroy earth or make it better, we even have the power to advance other lifeforms if that doesnt make us more important I dont know what does.....

Originally posted by Alfheim
Humans have the potential power to destroy earth or make it better, we even have the power to advance other lifeforms if that doesnt make us more important I dont know what does.....

the terms:

potential power
destroy
better
power
advance
other lifeforms
more
important

are all subjective terms.

Originally posted by inimalist
the terms:

potential power
destroy
better
power
advance
other lifeforms
more
important

are all subjective terms.

😂 Yes I know, but if your going to use that argument the answer to every single discussion is its "subjective".

A: Do you think the Turkey are wrong to deny commiting Genocide?
B: Its subjective.
😬

Originally posted by Alfheim
😂 Yes I know, but if your going to use that argument the answer to every single discussion is its "subjective".

A: Do you think the Turkey are wrong to deny commiting Genocide?
B: Its subjective.
😬

well, ya, for people who want to spend their time arguing about what is right or wrong.

Personally, i don't care if it is right for Turkey to deny genocide, since it is a subjective question. Did they commit genocide? Well, for that question it is possible to draw conclusions based on previous evidence. You can be like, "oh, genocide is subjective", but I would say no more than any other specific terms in language, and it can be very easily defined in an operational sense.

It's also why experiments are so important 😉

Originally posted by Alfheim
Yes...but this reminds me of when you said that selfish and unselfish were subjective terms as well. True but....

Humans have the potential power to destroy earth or make it better, we even have the power to advance other lifeforms if that doesnt make us more important I dont know what does.....

Then you just answered your own question. But the answer is yours, not an objective fact.

And keep in mind alter does not really mean advance.

The Romantics thought we were special. The Realist and Naturalist however did not.

It's all in the eye of the beholder.

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

humans are special in sense that,

of all the creatures in creation, humans are the only ones capable of actually destroying the earth

sorry if someone else posted a response like this i didnt quite read al the posts but in my opinion superiority is like racism.. its not natural its something that taught and passed down. humans seem to think there superioir because of really two things..ability to use and make technology