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Originally Posted by Otter
Because we are highly social animals- these things help us to interact with each other to mutual benefit.
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Ahh, I see. We create societal laws, ethics and moral concepts because we're highly social animals. So, I suppose you beleive this, somehow now proves we're only animals now ?
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Originally Posted by Otter
I don't see how that necessarily follows, and I wouldn't say nothing more than animals, as if to be an animal were a bad thing.
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Raise up the animal so that it doesn't look so bad to lower the human.
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Originally Posted by Otter
The way I see it, all life on this planet is related- we are all kin. If you belong to a large family, does that mean you are nothing more than a family member? Of course not- you are also an individual, with abilities, ideals and aspirations that may be very different from your kin.
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The ability to discriminate the difference between humans and animals and the difference between individuals OF a related human family doesn't somehow tie humans as the kin to animals. The THEORY of evolution (which is continually evolving ITSELF) does that. Not so well either. That is a rather big argument among academics actually. One I'll let THEM bandy about for eternity.
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Originally Posted by Otter
I find it somewhat misguided, even arrogant to assume that we are so beyond the rest of animal life that we have nothing to learn from other animals, and there is nothing in our nature that is akin to theirs (or that only the undesirable parts of our nature are akin to theirs). It reminds me of the doctor who believes that no one without a degree is worth talking to. Canada and greyleg geese are far more faithful in their pairings than humans are, and many animals will protect their young with their lives. Knowing this, how can we say that morals are exclusively human? The only consistent difference that I see is that humans will often rationalize their lapses, and paint them as virtues, a capacity that other animals appear to lack.
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The rationale that went on behind the scenes in the above paragraph is interesting in many different ways. I'll leave that for others to comment on if the willingness exists.