Humans as an animal lacking innocence..?

Question

I had thought for a long, long time that we are no different from other animals on this earth. But just recently, the other day, I realized that the only real huge difference between animals and humans is that animals, no matter how mean and cruel, are innocent, and we are not.

And what does this statement mean? To me it means that we are in control of ourselves. And to me to be in control of myself is to be the god of myself. So in that sense we are each individually divine from the start. We just have these damn addictions that make it hard to stay divine (or in control).

My question is, "does anyone have any mature\semi-intelligent comments on this idea?"

I'm interested in what people believe and ideas people have, and not interested in offending anyone. So if what I say does offend you, I sincerely apologize and want your honest opinion on the subject. Thanks for your time.

I should've asked, "does anyone have any mature\semi-intelligent comments on this mature\semi-intelligent idea?"

I love your answer lipsiot, are you saying some animals lack innocence because they are self-aware? I'm not denying it of course.. Let me know what you think.

Lipsiot - I tried to choose your answers as the best ones lol.. but I have to wait..

so my question becomes:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnSC.1N8dsFjsqguBo.SxAHsy6IX?qid=20061227031513AALqyb7

This question is too difficult to pick a "correct" answer. There are a lot of good views here. I just give a thumb-up to the ones I really like.

Answer 1

I wanted to eat the apple that eve gave to adam

Answer 2

Well, that's the tree of knowledge for you...

Human's brains and minds are much more complex than any other animal. Few animals have the capability to make an informed decision by knowing or guessing what the outcomes might be, and most simply run on instinct. You cannot find most animals responsible for their actions in this way. 'They're just dumb animals' most people will say 'it's not their fault'.
Most animals also lack the social capabilities human's possess. If humans had evolved as lone animals, as opposed to tribal, it's doubtful we would have a complex language, if any, or the other mechanisms that allow us to function as a group. These things, like guilt and hatred, do all serve important purposes, society wouldn't work without them really. However it is these things that make us feel that we aren't innocent.
Most importantly though, I think we just don't judge animals like we judge ourselves. Humans were built for human society, animals weren't, and you can't really apply guilt or justice or the other emotions which hold human society together to these animals. In people's eyes it isn't an animals fault if they misbehave or have a bad temperament, so they remain forever innocent, unlike humans who are judged rigidly.

Answer 3

I disagree with you, animals are not innocent. They betray each other as well and they fight and kill each other for those same reasons of betrayal. Where we differ we can communicate in a different fashion and we are suppose to have more humility and forgiving, like the turn the other cheek method. OR Shakespeare's theory, "Who steals my purse steals trash" We have ways to figure a way besides brutality to figure out a better way than killing because someone stole from us. Unlike the barbarians in Turkey and other countries they cut the hand off a thief. We govern ourselves better than that, (at least we are suppose to), we have a jail to punish, or we can fine them and they can pay it off someway besides killing or torture. We are not G-d of ourselves we are the governor of G-d's children with the free will, and it is up to us to preserve the soul he gave us and you could think of it as babysitting for yourself, in a way. After all we are always someones child we are not an ameba. But we need to be reminded of these things, because we are not in touch with our instincts enough anymore. We have desensitized to many avenues we could use to be G-dlike, not to be G-d but to be what he would be in our likeness. It is sad that we don't just use common sense sometimes in many of our decisions, So many of us have got our heads in the sand, and we dont have patience anymore either, we want everything right now. Morally we have really plunged and there is no way but us to resort to being an animal is some people. The one thing is that we have never been to far from being an animal and barbaric, just look at the holocaust, just an example, the horrorifying way they tortured and exterminated was calculated and carried out in such a maniacle way just like the jackel kills its prey. Some people are born to be just step above an animal the difference with them is they have the advantage of being just a little more of a human.

Answer 4

The required mandate for evil is in man alone.
No animal,no matter how apparently barbaric,has the ability to conceive right or wrong.
This concept is the trait of an entity that has the ability to be objective.
On earth humans are the only ones.
Acts of evil don't reside with everyone ,but the trait is there!

Answer 5

You only have to observe children to know that we are all born innocent but then you have to observe first, the influence of their parents and then the world at large to see how that innocence is lost. In most cases that does not mean we all become evil but it does create varying degree of cynicism and the establishment of defence mechanisms. I equate all of this with the way we develop an immune system so I don't see it as detrimental while you seem to be saying that a lack of innocence is similar to being criminal.
I hope my answer is semi-intelligent enough for you.Only joking.

Answer 6

Your definition of "innocence" seems to be that humans have the opportunity to control their actions whereas animals do not.

If this is the case then I think, by extension, you are suggesting that only humans have self-awareness. I would question this, and I believe there are many instances in the animal kingdom that underscore this as well.

Without going into too much detail: elephants have proved their social and self-awareness by their "mourning" of deceased members of their extended family; dolphins have an advanced sense of self-awareness which shows in their language and play patterns; bonobos also show self-awareness and create social control by the use of sex.

I think the major differences between "animals" and "humans" (and I don't believe it is that wide a gap) is that our intelligence has grown to a level whereby our acquisitiveness is growing unchecked. Acquisitiveness also exists in the animal kingdom, but it is only humans who have harnessed the means of over-production and the creation of surplus, which allows our greed to grow unchecked beyond the needs of simple survival.

Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, as surplus allowed some humans to become "non-producers" and create art, literature (and accountancy!).

I would also say that we are not all in control of ourselves, despite what we may think. As individuals we are often capable of mature, rational and unselfish thoughts and actions - as groups we tend to lose all of this and revert to tribal type, xenophobic, aggressive and territorial.

Anyway - for once a very good, mature question for which I am happy to give you a thumbs-up..........certainly beats the "what is life all about" stuff we normally get on here.

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Yes hum, I am saying that any being that has self-awareness (animal or human) cannot be truly innocent as it will use this to its advantage. To use the bonobos as an example again, they will use sex as a means to gain food or social standing - I would not call that "innocent" behaviour - and the animal itself is well aware of the gains that can be made for itself by its actions.

True innocence can only be where there is no self-awareness, eg. as in young babies and in the lower "unintelligent" forms of life. As I said above, for us lost innocence is unavoidable as it is an evolutionary trait and helps us to survive.

Answer 7

The REAL big difference between the lower animals and humans is that humans have an advanced brain, the front lobes. No other animal has that. We have a spirit which lets us see nature as it is and lets us develop technologies. It also gives us the knowledge of evil and good and therefore we must take responsibility for our actions. We cannot say the devil made me do it. It won't wash.

Answer 8

It depends on what you mean by innocent.

I think you're on the right track, I mean there is little that seperates humans from other animals. It's mainly just a matter of the way we think but I think defining it as innocence is probably incorrect.

I'd say that most other animals are simply not self-aware but that's probably incorrect as well.

Answer 9

i think there are two things that separate humans from animals. an apposable (sp?) thumb and the ability to reason, because no other living creature (on our world) posesses these two attributes at the same time like us.

Answer 10

not sure how mature my answer is but its honest i think some people were born as devils child i say this because of years of abuse dont know of anyaddictions any of them had except wanting to hurt other people