mortality?
2006-11-24 21:37:30 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
TRUE STORY: My cat knows all about traffic, always looks both ways. One day he was across the street and saw a car coming from far away. He moved to the curb and crouched down, his eyes on the car the whole time. Just as it was approaching, he dashed across in front of it, causing it to nearly flip over trying to avoid him. He jumped and pranced once across safely.
He clearly KNEW he was risking his life and decided to do it anyway for a cheap thrill. This, I think, establishes higher reasoning (if a touch daffy) at work. I don't think we're the only animals that understand mortality, just the only ones who dwell on it...
2006-11-24 21:42:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a few senses in which we can be considered "higher beings."
Many people have religious reasons, saying that God gave humans a soul and this makes us particularly special.
Scientifically, we're all natural creatures which have evolved from common ancestry. We have some advantages and disadvantages with regard to other species but one advantage trumps all others, and that's our intelligence. Our ability to understand the world around us and make use of that understanding is powerful. So we are more powerful than any other earthly species. But this just gives us a whole different class of problems and responsibilities.
2006-11-25 05:43:08 · answer #2 · answered by Tanath 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We cant be a higher being than a mammal coz we are mammals!
I dont hink we're higher beings as such, we just have a different sort of intelligence and therefore it is our job to protect the animals that we can!
2006-11-25 06:03:45 · answer #3 · answered by Claire O 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of us (not all of us) think we're better than other animals for the same reason any group thinks it's better than any other group. Why have men traditionally thought themselves superior to women? White people thought themselves superior to people of color? Why do UCLA grads think themselves superior to USC grads? A sense of superiority seems to part of human nature.
It has nothing to do with a sense of mortality or anything else.
2006-11-25 05:55:16 · answer #4 · answered by Vette999 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We are very high on ourselves because of the opposable thumbs. It's not much, but there you go.
Reflecting on mortality is NOT a gift at times
2006-11-25 05:49:04 · answer #5 · answered by slipstreamer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even dogs know when they are going to die. I've seen it. I had a dog that had leukemia, and he was aware that he was dying. He wouldn't leave my side the entire time. My personal opinion is that animals are better than people. At least they don't commit senseless killing in the name of a god, or a politician, or any of the other immoral things that humans do.
2006-11-25 05:44:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I don't about being higher beings or not, but in the bible it says that god gave us Dominion over the animals and plants.
2006-11-25 05:50:52 · answer #7 · answered by Mike E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think we're higher beings than birds....they fly way high.
2006-11-25 05:38:46 · answer #8 · answered by radioflyer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, that and being able to walk on the Moon.
2006-11-25 05:40:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and because of that, we have a responsibility for this world to act as stewards and take care of it.
2006-11-25 05:40:28 · answer #10 · answered by rndyh77 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋