What is the difference between humans and animals?

Aborted fetus has nothing to do with human. It is just a lifeless nothing of cells and organic matter.

Seriously though, wtf are they doing. It was more than just Pepsi, they hid the others that they contracted with.

Oh well, I support animalism and survival of the highest order of the carbon cycle. Consume and dissolve.

 

Should not "society" value the things that are most valuable?

What is it about a set of values that says:

"Hello, I'm thrilled out of my happy, furry body to see you" when you arrive home......

...and something that says:

"Oh crap, you're home.... I suppose you forgot the milk".

... "society" should be subject to a set of laws that promotes the latter?

 

At least one dog on the forum disagrees, and although his posts are banned, he regularly posts under another name.

 

Often, he is followed by, or follows another more prolific dog:



A very intelligent dog for its size, that claims to be from New Zealand.

 

At least one Penguin, and one Blue Whale are contributors to PF.

There is a noticeable lack of Chimpanzee commentary of late, however,and that is particular worrisome in this heated political environment.

 

Menopause. I don't think anyone else has that. Just humans.

Oh. And fire.

And clothes, I suppose. Although some dogs have clothes. But not of their own volition. I guess only humans have the will to wear clothes, as opposed to having clothing thrust upon them.

 

Your mom.

???

 

The existing data support the view that menopause occurs in a number of primate species and is not unique to humans.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18495681

 

I've never seen animals act like humans, but on the other hand I've seen plenty of humans act like animals.

 

Self awareness. Thats really the only thing.

If I was convinced that another species was fully self aware like human beings are, I would be in favor of giving them the same rights we have.

So far I have not been convinced that such species exist. Some species (great apes, dolphins, parrots) show specific traits that could be considered self aware, but I am not convinced yet that they are fully self aware.

 

LOL! Lots of them do.

That is a core facet of self awareness. I dont think a creature could be considered self aware without it.

 

Quote:
Humans have fear of the consequence of their actions and fear of death. That is mostly unique in the animal world.

Most species of social animals can be argued to display behavior that shows they fear consequences from their social group. As far a fear of death, life is defined by it, I would not even limit to animal species.

 

I remain unconvinced that any animal other than humans really understands what death is, or that they will one day cease to exist. I am not saying it is impossible, just that I have not seen any evidence convincing me of that yet.

Animals fear immediate consequences. Long term is a different story. When a squirrel stores nuts for the winter, it is not doing so because it 'knows" it will need them. It is doing so because it's instincts tell it to do so. It is following an evolutionary program.

I think that is a key difference between humans and other animals. We can plan ahead, even for things we are not instinctively wired to "plan ahead" for. Our self awareness allows us to adapt in ways other animals cannot.

 

In your case, I agree.

 

No disrespect, but I have no clue what you mean? self awareness? can you explain?

 

What is death but an end to life? Not a hard concept to argue other species get, since they try to avoid it. Rats learn not to touch any traps after they come across a trap that has killed another rat. Some other species of animals have been observed grieving death, I am not sure what else makes our concept of death different other than the invention of a possible afterlife.

What do you consider to be planning ahead father than other species, please give an example?

 

ON A VERY SERIOUS NOTE, how do we humans, distinguish ourselves from the two legged animals who are living among us and are protected by human rights while they abuse our own human rights? the only solution I can think of is described at www.pvsi.net but if you can give ideas I'm listening. I do not want to be lumped in with two legged animals for the rest of my life. by that I mean killers, rapists, those who can torture, thieves, criminals, etc. I see myself and many other humans as very distinct from the rest of the scum, because I can work for my living, and when I kill to eat I try to do it as quick and painless as I can. there is no comparison other then that which may be made by some idiots for the sake of argument.

 

Are you talking about Raptors? Ostriches? Kangaroos? I dont get it.

 

In this context it means the same thing. I remain unconvinced that animals really understand that their life will cease to exist at some point.

They avoid danger by instinct. It doesnt necessarily mean that they understand what death is.

That could be grief over the loss of companionship. It doesnt necessarily mean they understand death or that they themselves will die one day.

The fact that we are actually aware of our own mortality in a way not driven by instinct.

Humans would allow a population of prey animals to remain on purpose, even when we have easy access to them and can kill them easily. We do this because we know that of we exterminate them it will lead to famine later on, because we need the animals to breed to provide a food supply.

Other predators do not do that. Lions that are hungry will not ration kills so that prey animals can repopulate...they will consume them all and then die of starvation when the prey are gone.

That is an example of human planning...we know what the consequences will be if we exterminate the prey items we depend on to surive. Animals dont. They will simply act on instinct and nothing more.

 

Wikipedia has a good explanation of it:

I would further add that it is also the ability to see this in other animals...to understand they they also feel and think separately from you.

 

We have mastery over nature and reason.

 

And see how cleverly we have used it to put ourselves on the brink of destruction.

Not that I have much of a problem with that.

 

Really! Thanks for that link, I didn't know that.

 

Ill go with the 20 years.