Humanity...

**Ibn-Khaldun** · 10-24-2009, 22:53

No.. I mean your personal opinion.

**Beskar** · 10-25-2009, 00:09

Me and you.

**Decker** · 10-25-2009, 01:13

Well first off Ibn-Khaldun. What is your opinion?

In my opinion it's everything that makes us different from everything and everyone else.

**Centurion1** · 10-25-2009, 01:30

Hmmm, i see humanity as that essential something that separates us from animals. Mostly our intellect but also our morals system

**Megas Methuselah** · 10-25-2009, 02:08

"Our species," would be my definition.

**CountArach** · 10-25-2009, 02:10

Originally Posted by Megas Methuselah

"Our species," would be my definition.

Then that makes the statement that someone can "lose their humanity" quite literally impossible. We may have to go beyond this to having a sense of morality and (I believe) self-awareness. You have to be able to conceive of yourself as an entity I guess.

No idea, just throwing stuff out there.

**Centurion1** · 10-25-2009, 02:24

yes is more than our species to be sure. I think it is really as ca said our self awareness. We are aware of our superiority, we are aware of our intellect, we are aware of our conscious.....

**Viking** · 10-25-2009, 13:32

Originally Posted by CountArach

Then that makes the statement that someone can "lose their humanity" quite literally impossible.

Never heard of the expression.

I go with 'specie'.

**rory_20_uk** · 10-26-2009, 12:01

Originally Posted by Megas Methuselah

"Our species," would be my definition.

I agree. Everything else is merely arrogance.

"We are the only ones that feel emotions"... "oh, in fact many animals do"
"But we are the only tool using animals"... "oh, primates, chimps, birds and even insects do"
"Memory"... "others too huh?"
"Playing?"... "Dolphins? Damn"
"Aha! Ethical code!"... "Pack animal interaction / primate groups act in a similar way as well as differing behaviour under stress"

Other animals do have wider senses than we do, ranging from eyes that can see into IR or UV, some birds that can sense magnetism, to fish that can sense electric fields.