Do you consider Humans to be Animals?

[Ovisterra]

I can't photosynthesise, so either we're animals or I'm missing out on something awesome.

[The Serbian Empire]

Brainy chimps. That's all. We've yet to reach a stage where our behaviour can be considered distant enough from our animal brethren to classify us as anything else.

Such as not needing to reproduce via sex or cell division.

[Huskvarneque]

Yes, we are, no real argument to the fact.

No other animal comes even close to the way humans behave? How about that. There are a million and one different types of everything, and yet humans are unique.

How do you mean "behave"? All animals behave differently. Please, elaborate.

[The Emerald Legion]

No other animal comes even close to the way humans behave? How about that. There are a million and one different types of everything, and yet humans are unique.

How do you mean "behave"? All animals behave differently. Please, elaborate.

Invent things. Search out truth often at the cost of evolutionary survival. Think.

Humans are the only ones who do that.

[Hittanryan]

We are animals with large brains and highly developed reasoning skills...although you'd never know it looking at certain threads in NSG.

[The Darwinian People]

I answered yes because I accept that we are, in the scientific sense, animals. I do, however, believe that we have earned the right to distinguish our selves from the other, sub-human, animals because of the construction of moral laws that are not based on instinct.

[Djang]

How do you mean "behave"? All animals behave differently. Please, elaborate.

Invent things. Search out truth often at the cost of evolutionary survival. Think.

Humans are the only ones who do that.

Some animals invent tools for specific purposes, and who are you to say animals can't think? Are you an ethologist?

[Huskvarneque]

How do you mean "behave"? All animals behave differently. Please, elaborate.

Invent things. Search out truth often at the cost of evolutionary survival. Think.

Humans are the only ones who do that.

So, humans have intellect, what else? Quite frankly all we have is our intelligence, we don't have hearing as good as some animals, out sense of smell is just ridiculous, we can't run real fast, we don't have a jaw-full of sharp teeth to fight with, we don't have sharp claws, we can't sense when an earthquake will strike... the list keep going. Without that little bit of intellect we have, we'd be a weak species. Sorry, having just one thing over other's isn't much of a divider, animals have advantages that we don't have, and we have some they don't.

[Huskvarneque]

I answered yes because I accept that we are, in the scientific sense, animals. I do, however, believe that we have earned the right to distinguish our selves from the other, sub-human, animals because of the construction of moral laws that are not based on instinct.

Yes, because basing actions off morality is so superior.... We use a subjective force and think it's better than.... come on now, try something better than morality.

[The Darwinian People]

I answered yes because I accept that we are, in the scientific sense, animals. I do, however, believe that we have earned the right to distinguish our selves from the other, sub-human, animals because of the construction of moral laws that are not based on instinct.

Yes, because basing actions off morality is so superior.... We use a subjective force and think it's better than.... come on now, try something better than morality.

If you can point out why morality isn't a good enough example.

[Djang]

I answered yes because I accept that we are, in the scientific sense, animals. I do, however, believe that we have earned the right to distinguish our selves from the other, sub-human, animals because of the construction of moral laws that are not based on instinct.

But we have commited genocide many times before, I'm pretty sure moral laws didn't influence that. Also, when you get down to it we are violent creatures, even when society frowns upon violence we find outlets. Whether that means violent video games, martial arts or just fucking around with your mates, we find ways.

[Cedarwood River]

"We're all wild animals, brother." ~ Jake the Dog

[Khanastan]

Yes. We are only where we are because we started talking.

[Huskvarneque]

Yes, because basing actions off morality is so superior.... We use a subjective force and think it's better than.... come on now, try something better than morality.

If you can point out why morality isn't a good enough example.

Because it's subjective, and not every individual holds the same morality. While some people say killing is bad, for example, other's say it isn't, and heck, we kill, destroy, and attempt to commit genocide, as proven by earlier history of our species. You're really going to argue we're so much better because we try and dictate our lives off of something so minuscule as Morality?

[Thaipursia]

Yes. Scienticifically , humans are a species of animal , of the order primata, the family hominid. Humans are part of the family of Gaia, not some creation born apart from the other species of this planet.

[Chernyanistan]

ehhhhhh.... i don't know

[Old Tyrannia]

We're not plants, we're not fungi, and we're definitely not bacteria or viruses. So I'm pretty sure we're animals. I for one know that I am incapable of photosynthesis.

[Vloskovia]

Yes.

[Snoefsnuif]

No other animal comes even close to the way humans behave? How about that. There are a million and one different types of everything, and yet humans are unique.

Well, we do resemble some species in certain ways, and we do differ from them. But that can just as well be said about cats. They're unique.

[The Emerald Legion]

Invent things. Search out truth often at the cost of evolutionary survival. Think.

Humans are the only ones who do that.

So, humans have intellect, what else? Quite frankly all we have is our intelligence, we don't have hearing as good as some animals, out sense of smell is just ridiculous, we can't run real fast, we don't have a jaw-full of sharp teeth to fight with, we don't have sharp claws, we can't sense when an earthquake will strike... the list keep going. Without that little bit of intellect we have, we'd be a weak species. Sorry, having just one thing over other's isn't much of a divider, animals have advantages that we don't have, and we have some they don't.

And in D&D 3.5 all wizards have is spellcasting. Still doesn't stop them from easily curbstomping everything else.

Hearing? We've solved that.

Smell is worthless. The only theoretical use for it is tracking, and guess what? We have GPS, along with litteral eyes in the sky. We don't need smell.

Run really fast? Wheels are better. We have cars.

Jaw full of sharp teeth? No I merely have a foot long piece of sharp metal that could, If I were stronger, Easily behead most animals I would come across. As it is I can still put the hurt on most things relying on claws or teeth.

Claws? See above. And I'm anachronistic as far as violence is concerned, Guns would simply reduce them to chunks of gore before they even knew what happened.

We know when earthquakes will strike. It's called seismology.

Everything you can mention animals have. machinery does it better. Really the only thing the animal kingdom has is running off of garbage.

Besides the fact that you are forgetting is the human race used to hunt down those animals before it was inspired.

[Khanastan]

Yes, we are, no real argument to the fact.

No other animal comes even close to the way humans behave? How about that. There are a million and one different types of everything, and yet humans are unique.

I beg to differ. Yes now maybe in the post-classical eras. But back when we were beginning our civilisation, early farming, hierarchy, early warfare and the like, we were similar to ants now. There are ant species who have metropolises, farming techniques, military structure and a hierarchy that can rule over several mounds, up to 120 million subjects. I honestly feels that if we (or the raptors) had not become sentinel, they would have.

[Hittanryan]

So, humans have intellect, what else? Quite frankly all we have is our intelligence, we don't have hearing as good as some animals, out sense of smell is just ridiculous, we can't run real fast, we don't have a jaw-full of sharp teeth to fight with, we don't have sharp claws, we can't sense when an earthquake will strike... the list keep going. Without that little bit of intellect we have, we'd be a weak species. Sorry, having just one thing over other's isn't much of a divider, animals have advantages that we don't have, and we have some they don't.

And in D&D 3.5 all wizards have is spellcasting. Still doesn't stop them from easily curbstomping everything else.

Hearing? We've solved that.

Smell is worthless. The only theoretical use for it is tracking, and guess what? We have GPS, along with litteral eyes in the sky. We don't need smell.

Run really fast? Wheels are better. We have cars.

Jaw full of sharp teeth? No I merely have a foot long piece of sharp metal that could, If I were stronger, Easily behead most animals I would come across. As it is I can still put the hurt on most things relying on claws or teeth.

Claws? See above. And I'm anachronistic as far as violence is concerned, Guns would simply reduce them to chunks of gore before they even knew what happened.

We know when earthquakes will strike. It's called seismology.

Everything you can mention animals have. machinery does it better. Really the only thing the animal kingdom has is running off of garbage.

Besides the fact that you are forgetting is the human race used to hunt down those animals before it was inspired.

Can't carry a load, so invent wheel. Can't catch food, so invent spear. Limitations. No limitations, no advancement, no advancement, culture stagnates. Works other way too, advancement before culture is ready. Disastrous. -- Mordin Solus

[The Emerald Legion]

Yes. Scienticifically , humans are a species of animal , of the order primata, the family hominid. Humans are part of the family of Gaia, not some creation born apart from the other species of this planet.

That isn't what I refer to as human. The mind is what makes you a human. The body is not.

[Old Tyrannia]

No other animal comes even close to the way humans behave? How about that. There are a million and one different types of everything, and yet humans are unique.

I beg to differ. Yes now maybe in the post-classical eras. But back when we were beginning our civilisation, early farming, hierarchy, early warfare and the like, we were similar to ants now. There are ant species who have metropolises, farming techniques, military structure and a hierarchy that can rule over several mounds, up to 120 million subjects. I honestly feels that if we (or the raptors) had not become sentinel, they would have.

Ants' problem is that while they are incredibly versatile, succesful and industrious, they work on instinct whereas we work on intelligence. Their societies are thus much more efficient and stable than ours, but also less able to advance. In evolution, there's always trade offs. The simplified image of having a hierarchy of species from most primitive to most derived is a falsehood- we're no more 'advanced' than vipers or grass, just specialised in different ways.

[The Emerald Legion]

I beg to differ. Yes now maybe in the post-classical eras. But back when we were beginning our civilisation, early farming, hierarchy, early warfare and the like, we were similar to ants now. There are ant species who have metropolises, farming techniques, military structure and a hierarchy that can rule over several mounds, up to 120 million subjects. I honestly feels that if we (or the raptors) had not become sentinel, they would have.

Ants' problem is that while they are incredibly versatile, succesful and industrious, they work on instinct whereas we work on intelligence. Their societies are thus much more efficient and stable than ours, but also less able to advance. In evolution, there's always trade offs. The simplified image of having a hierarchy of species from most primitive to most derived is a falsehood- we're no more 'advanced' than vipers or grass, just specialised in different ways.

I beg to differ. Different specializations have different ceilings. Theres only so far you can go with being an expert swordsman. You are pretty much stuck with being able to stab things really well. But be an expert engineer? All sorts of possibilities open up.

We are more advanced because our particular specialization has a longer, if less user friendly, tech tree.