What makes us human?

Question

Philosophical Answers Please =)

Answer 1

our consciousness...our awareness...our quest to discover ourselves and our destiny...

our dreams,aspirations,feelings,
desires,faith...

our endeavours to be more than what we are...

and more than anything...its humanity that makes us human..

humanity has spiritual dimensions...it communes with the cosmic spirit...and the divine purpose...

Answer 2

Crissy,

You may have asked the most important question facing our species. I assume you are speaking in the philosophical sense, and not the biological. What indeed, is the difference between us and other species? If we define humanity as superior intelligence, how can we explain the unbelievably stupid things we do sometimes? I have seen animals on my farm with more common sense that some of the people I've met. Just my opinion, but I believe that what truly makes us human, is that we have been designed from the ground up, to have a relationship with a Superior Intelligence. Of all the creatures on Earth, we alone have the ability to seek out, and become one with our Creator. When we in all sincerity, invite our Creator to enter our hearts and minds, an amazing transformation takes place. The false gods of materialism and fear, fall away, and are replaced by Love. We are no longer very clever apes who walk upright, but have become bonded with the very mind that created us. We have made the impossible leap, from being mortals, to being One with the Immortal. No other being on this planet can make this claim, or enter this relationship. Please don't mistake what I have described, as the petty religions of men. They have long ago forgotten this truth.

Answer 3

The ability to lie.
I know it sounds wierd but in Philosophy college we came up with this as the defining quality of being a sentient intelligence, particularly human.
1. Indicates life and responsiveness to world
2. Communicative and social in language and intent
3.Reflective and moral in that the person knows the difference between right and wrong.
4. Free will in that though we have the power to lie we do so in the choice NOT to tell the truth, Therefore even humans who DO NOT lie are still human in that thet have the ability but choose not to in mature choice.
Thats what we thought anyway-hope it helps.

Answer 4

Our nature is not defined by our instincts and physical attributes, actually, we dont have a nature per se, just a set of options to choose from, like career options. Our personal preferences, which are defined throughout our life, are the ones that make those choices. Also, many times we want things that are out of our reach.

Animals have a nature, and just have to struggle for food. We humans have to struggle for food and everything else, our nature, our place in this world, etc.

Answer 5

We are capable of becoming Gods, I believe that will become the answer to, "Why are we here?" I believe that are very ethos was designed to become that which we worship. Think of us interacting with the first aliens, aliens at our level thousands of years ago. We will become their Gods and then the god myth will start again, another planets inhabitants will talk of Gods that came from the heavens, turn the water into wine and healed the lame and sick. Just my thinking in this lateral way, makes me, HUMAN. I also express love, in a way no animal could. Tony in remotest Indo China.

Answer 6

Human
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Homo Sapiens)
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This article is about modern humans. For other human species, see Homo (genus). For other uses, see Human (disambiguation).
?Human
Conservation status: Secure

Fossil range: Pleistocene - Recent


Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Superfamily: Hominoidea

Family: Hominidae

Subfamily: Homininae

Tribe: Hominini

Subtribe: Hominina

Genus: Homo

Species: H. sapiens

Subspecies: H. s. sapiens


Trinomial name
Homo sapiens sapiens
Linnaeus, 1758
Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for "wise man" or "knowing man") under the family Hominidae (the great apes).[1] Humans have a highly developed brain capable of abstract reasoning, language and introspection. This, combined with an erect body carriage that frees their upper limbs for manipulating objects, has allowed humans to make greater use of tools than any other species.

Like most primates, humans are by nature social. However, humans are particularly adept at utilizing systems of communication for self-expression and the exchange of ideas. Humans create complex social structures composed of co-operating and competing groups, ranging in scale from nations to individual families, and social interaction between humans has established a variety of traditions, rituals, ethics, values, social norms, and laws which form the basis of human society. Humans also have a marked appreciation for beauty and aesthetics which, combined with the human desire for self-expression, has led to cultural innovations such as art, literature and music.

Humans are also noted for their desire to understand and influence the world around them, seeking to explain and manipulate natural phenomena through science, religion, philosophy and mythology. This natural curiosity has led to the development of advanced tools and skills; humans are the only known species to build fires, cook their food, clothe themselves, and use numerous other technologies.

Answer 7

Language.

Answer 8

what is human, if you go for all that "I think therefore I am" stuff then the same could be said for the animals that are not us.

I'm not going to spam you with copy and paste stuff from google, here is my answer instead, I have lived in nature and studied nature.

There is nothing that makes us human.

Answer 9

Choice and Faith, not instinctive behavior. wanting to do the right thing , an do it well. the knowledge we are loved by a higher source...but what proof do we have that animals do not have that knowledge.Animals do love, that extra strand in our dna... may be just makes us question, and hav the need to make the music that makes our soul sing.

Answer 10

As to Voltaire
Cogito ergo Sum
I think thus I am
As to Rousseau
I feel thus I am
As to Kannt
A combination of both

As to Desmond morris
we became human the moment we learned to throw stones at each other.
(the first creative process in the brain: use of tools.)

choos whatever suits you best

Answer 11

Actually, I think humans are the only species with the ability to reason.