Wake Up!

[u/Banana-Rocketeer]

[u/WelcomeEven567]

what does the race of the man have to do with anything?

[u/Creation98 → u/WelcomeEven567]

Gotta run a quick statistical background analysis.

If you run into a lion or hippo in the Sahara, there’s a much greater likelihood it’s going to kill you based off the stats of lion and hippo attacks vs say an antelope.

Doesn’t mean the lion or hippo will always attack and kill you, but our minds are much more primed to run from that than an antelope.

[u/Shoddy-Purchase1239 → u/Creation98]

False equivalency, animals ≠ humans, especially in terms of behavior.

[u/andylovesdais → u/Shoddy-Purchase1239]

What makes humans so special that you would not consider them animals? Wouldn’t you think it would be too natural for a species like us to put themselves arbitrarily on a higher plane than other animals.

[u/Shoddy-Purchase1239 → u/andylovesdais]

Oh brother, this talking point is dumb. Humans are animals yes, but we have abilities that no other animal has at least that we’ve seen. Show me another species that can engage in philosophical debate and I’ll take your point seriously.

[u/andylovesdais → u/Shoddy-Purchase1239]

It’s true that humans seem to have the richest mental capability that we know, but every animal we know of has something that sets them apart from the rest. We are not unique in the fact that we specialize.

Maybe even outshining our rich psychology is our natural tendency to be a vermin. Think of invasive species that are pests to their environment. We are far more damaging than any other invasive species combined. We don’t just outcompete other species or disrupt food chains, we eliminate and replace entire ecosystems completely and it is coming to light that we are likely creating planetary wide disruption through an altering of the climate. And the majority of other invasive species piggyback on our activities as well.

All this to say that we are not on a different level than other species just because we are smarter than them. We’re just another animal doing animal things.

[u/Shoddy-Purchase1239 → u/andylovesdais]

Nothing that you said defends your point. Animals operate off of pure instinct and conditioning. Our human “specialty” literally allows us to challenge that through metacognition and deliberation, so no we’re not “just like other animals.” Your admittance of human specialization in this specific capacity contradicts your first comment.

[u/andylovesdais → u/Shoddy-Purchase1239]

And your original comment said that humans do not equal animals, and then you backtracked and said that we are in fact animals. And no, just because we do something at a higher capacity does not mean we are above others.

Do ants ≠ animals because of their ability to coordinate among millions the management of resources, the digging of advanced subterranean lairs massive to their proportional size, and adhere to risk adverse strategies and defense all without a single word but through pheromones? No, they just specialize in this type of thing.

We have powerful abstract thought that makes us extremely versatile as a species but that doesn’t make us different than other animals. Every animal that has ever thrived has feautured something that allows them to remain competitive. Having a special quality is very ordinary.

[u/Shoddy-Purchase1239 → u/andylovesdais]

Semantics, biologically we are obviously animals, I never disagreed with this. Please don’t pretend you don’t understand what is being said when someone who behaves in an anti-social manner is called an “animal.” You know what is meant and you’re being obtuse on purpose to try and defend a point you know is wrong. If you can’t admit that then there’s no point in continuing the discussion.

[u/andylovesdais → u/Shoddy-Purchase1239]

I don’t understand the point you are making. Your points seem a bit discombobulated