23 September, 2010
What is it that makes humans, human?
To put it simply and concisely, people (humans) have souls. Humans have the ability to feel pain before the cause of pain has actually happened, because humans have the ability to understand that pain is coming in the near future. Humans have the ability to believe that not everything in existence is seen, and even that there is a very real interaction between the abstract and the concrete. Human beings have a choice, they have the ability to always choose to do or not do something, even something their reason and/or instinct refuses to condone. Humans have the ability to be inspired by other humans. We have the capacity and, I think, the necessity to find reasons for action outside of our own personal survival. Human beings do more than survive. We thrive. Because we take the most simple and basic of what we have at our disposal, mix it all together, and create something completely new with a new meaning and purpose. We are driven (generally) by ideas more than our desires. Humans have found ways to connect the abstract with the concrete through creativity and chosen action, rather than instinctually driven action.
Is it only or ability to create and understand that makes us human?
ReplyDeleteHumans have souls. That's the difference. It isn't a cognitive, physical, or emotional capacity because handicapped people, people in comas, people with missing limbs,unborn people, are no more or less human than the "normal" healthy adult ones. But I think there are some signs that the human soul is powerful enough to set humanity apart from every other species. Creativity and understanding are among them.
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