What makes you human?

[Ohhi]

I truly don't know what to say on the subject I think what makes us human is the ability to reason and feel emotion and to be able to question our exsistence but beyond that I don't know and if that classifies us as humans than I only have two of those the reason and the question our existence part but to tell you the truth I have no emotion for any other human being I feel no remorse when someone dies whether it be a relative or a friend and the saddest part to me, my friends are to put it simply "Less expendable" than people I don't know
If me and my friends were to be put in a life and death situation and one of them were to die I would feel nothing and probably start ransacking his shit in my mind I'm the only one that needs to live not because I am better but because I'm just like that.

 

[Pojo-san]

I guess I cant say anything since im part cyborg.....what a life

But since im part human ill say my intellegence to question life and my morality

How can you be part-"part-machine"? You're either a cyborg or you aren't!

He's a manbearpig!

Ahhhhh WHERE!

Also I guess im just part robot, with my arm being an robotic arm with knife, guns and a fart noises in it...

and dispenses cooked bacon...

 

[Chrysocollus]

I am human...because I can make mistakes...because I can make amends for them. Because I can do things I know will hurt me or others...or I can choose not to. Because I can take the feelings of another person, animal, or other things into account before I do something and then choose based on the effect I want to have.

...Or you could say it's because of genetics. So boring though.

if you were hungry in a jungle and you got your hands in a maquake you would kill it and eat it without thinking if it was the right thing to do

I think that has more to do with the fact I'm not morally opposed to eating animals, but y'know, whatever. >.>

 

[Pojo-san]

What do you think make us human? Do you think there is something unique about us or not, and if you do what? I'm asking from an anthropological and philosophical perspective, so please do not use religion.

I believe that we are human because of two reasons. The first is our entire way of life depends on fire. We use it to cook our food, to make our vehicles move, to make products, to keep us warm, and so on. On top of that we are the only species on the planet who can create and control fire. So using, making and controlling fire is part of what makes us human. My other reason is that someone long time ago decided to call us human. Our species needed a name so some decided to call us human. We could have been easily called dogs, cats, or octopi. We are only human because we call ourselves humans.

What do you guys think? What do you believe makes you human?

Edit: Yes, I know genetics make you human in a biological sense. Besides that, what else do you think makes you human? The biology and genetics arguments is getting rather dull.

As opposed to what? I mean, there's not really any debate value in thinking how we differ from things that are quite different from us, like rocks or pigeons, nor is there any real question there.

Also, your second point is silly, because it distantly implies that people speaking other languages aren't humans but rather menschen, cilvēki, lyud'i and so on.

I'm not implying whatsoever that people who speak any other language are not people or human. With all due respect, you are the one implying that not me. I have written it as human because that is what homo-sapiens are called in English. Obviously, other languages call homo-sapiens different things but they all mean the same thing regardless of what language you are using. If I wrote it in German then I would've said, "Wir sind auch nur Menschen, weil wir uns selbst Mensch genannt." Since I didn't I used human instead.

 

[Zyphonee]

The genetic answer is a pretty bland and flawed one, really. Imagine a new race was to be integrated to our society, one with completely different genes to ours, yet still completely capable of rational thought? Wouldn't that alternate race be a human too?

There are many factors that determine humans as homo sapiens (Latin for "sapient man"). We are a species that is able to differentiate itself from any other we know so far, we are not only capable of rational thought to solve presented challenges, but we also have the possibility to consider abstract or subjective scenarios; we can mentally project the outcome of a situation by examining the different variables, and apply this logic to extremely complex scenarios, such as politics and philosophy. It is the will to see how far we can stretch and apply this hability that keeps us humans growing, and making the gap between species bigger and bigger, furthermore reassuring our identity.

 

[Halceon]

I'm not implying whatsoever that people who speak any other language are not people or human. With all due respect, you are the one implying that not me. I have written it as human because that is what homo-sapiens are called in English. Obviously, other languages call homo-sapiens different things but they all mean the same thing regardless of what language you are using. If I wrote it in German then I would've said, "Wir sind auch nur Menschen, weil wir uns selbst Mensch genannt." Since I didn't I used human instead.

That's what you meant to say. Not necessarily what you did. However, that point is moot. Your point still is tautological - "A human is something that we call human".

 

[Kortney]

Our intellect.

 

[StormShaun]

I guess I cant say anything since im part cyborg.....what a life

But since im part human ill say my intellegence to question life and my morality

How can you be part-"part-machine"? You're either a cyborg or you aren't!

He's a manbearpig!

Ahhhhh WHERE!

Also I guess im just part robot, with my arm being an robotic arm with knife, guns and a fart noises in it...

and dispenses cooked bacon...

You just had to give out my secret mate, now everyone will want me bacon!

 

[Pojo-san]

I guess I cant say anything since im part cyborg.....what a life

But since im part human ill say my intellegence to question life and my morality

How can you be part-"part-machine"? You're either a cyborg or you aren't!

He's a manbearpig!

Ahhhhh WHERE!

Also I guess im just part robot, with my arm being an robotic arm with knife, guns and a fart noises in it...

and dispenses cooked bacon...

You just had to give out my secret mate, now everyone will want me bacon!

Well think of it this way. They will no longer be after your Luck Charms.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

There you go

Wikipedia is not a real source. Try again.

http://www.humbio.org/joomla/