generally plant life and animals have programmed behaviour. they react to stimulii in predictable manner. they don't have choices. but humans seem to have a lot of choices because of their reasoning abilities. what do you say?
2006-08-13 15:26:28 · 8 answers · asked by jaco 3 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
This idea of "choosing" is a classical issue of philosphy. We do indeed choose, but our consideration and preferences with which we do choose are by some accounts, predictable. Behaviorists (see BF Skinner for example) submit the idea that all behavior is a function of its consequences. meaning, that if we find something rewarding, we will do it more frequently, moreover, we will expand activites to create the opportunity for such a reward. Rats do this too. This is also similar to the "rational choice" perspective of people's behaviors.
There is another, which also critical of people's ability to choose, and this is typically called the structural point of view, which holds that people are embedded in a web of expectations and possible choices and constraints. All of these limit or enable the "choice" of an individual in this view. Still, the choice of the person predictable because of this embeddedness.
When discussing these perspectives, I think the analogy of driving a car from one city to a nearby city (60 miles). If we are driving, we have the ability to choose how fast and which route we will take. This decision is immediately limited by knowledge- we didn't know about the road construction on the shortest route. It is also limited by trade-offs. We could drive 120 mph, but thanks to the state patrol, the consequences preclude this choice. So, we maximize our utility with a route wieghed by several criteria.
What differs humans from other animals? I agree it is the ability to choose, but it is deeper in that it is our ability to choose fro abstract ends such as honor, obligation and responsibility. Any rat can choose to maximize utility, which is what current social science seems to focus on. Only a human can make an end out of living a "good" life.
Cheers all
2006-08-13 16:07:20 · answer #1 · answered by bizsmithy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ability to reason and to choose the best answer from among many is only one of the difference between humans and animals. However you left out the most important factor. Seems that there is such a thing as an opposable thumb, and the ability to make tools.
2006-08-13 15:33:28 · answer #2 · answered by rb_cubed 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, humans differ from other life forms due to the presence of an opposable thumb which has helped the human species develop fine motor skills by being able to grip and use tools, which in turn led to rapid learning, which in time led to choice and reasoning.
The Human brain has increased in size by 300% since 2.5million years ago when the first rock or stick was used as tool, this period is a mere fraction of a second in evolutionary time spans.
2006-08-13 16:36:15 · answer #3 · answered by stefjeff 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Because many animals have the power to choose as well. If you put two bowls of food in front of an animal, he will likely choose one.
What differentiates humans from animals is not much. Humans will eventually find they are not much more intelligent than animals. They are simply able to communicate their thoughts more accurately.
Don't forget: humans ARE animals.
2006-08-13 15:32:24 · answer #4 · answered by noir 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
individually, i've got faith there probable are different human like varieties on yet another planet or planets by using fact its an extremely huge universe and why not? As for the 1st component of your question, i think of mankind is in this lifeform just to journey actual style and manage the annoying situations & joys that existence in the international can provide by using fact i've got faith that we are all religious beings having a mundane actual journey (education?). possibly to develop the affection interior the universe via our ability to help one yet another and to correctly known and bear in mind unconditional love.
2016-10-02 01:16:45 · answer #5 · answered by Erika 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A bird chooses to fly into my window. But I think it's our ability to make fire, and our ability of "metacognition" which is the ability to think about "Thinking". It's also our ability to be at the top of the food chain, and finally it's our ability to use symbolism and art.
2006-08-13 15:33:27 · answer #6 · answered by Night Owl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because human has a mind to think over the pros and cons.
2006-08-13 15:33:19 · answer #7 · answered by Ifeelso706 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I choose to take two points.
2006-08-13 15:31:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋