Is humankind the most noble of beasts?

Question

Out of all the beasts or living creatures in the world, is humankind the most noble one?
Please state your definition of noble if you can.

Answer 1

Yes, quite clearly, and without doubt.

We are also the most ignoble.

The reason I am so sure, is that 'Nobility' is a human concept, and only applies to human behavior.

Certainly all animals do things that we might consider 'noble' or 'ignoble', but the term is irrelevant without intent.

How noble would a fireman be, if he had no choice but to do what he does?

Face it, the noblility and courage in hero's like Firemen stems wholy from Choice, and Intent.

When noble or ignoble acts are seen in animals, it is instinct, thus it cannot even be measured on the human-designed scale of noble.

Who, after all, would blame a tiger for killing a defensless herbivore?

Not me, that's for sure...

Answer 2

Humankind is better than beasts in several aspects. But nobility is not practiced by most. Some animals seems to possess sacrificing tendencies. In that way they also can be considered noble.

Answer 3

" chemically inert or inactive especially toward oxygen" Well, I like that definition. human creatures as all physical matter are only a illusion thus really not active. Only God in the physical is active I suppose. But all physical & non-physical is God. But all physical is but an illusion... my words do not make sense? That’s because the structure of words so bind our imaginations that we cannot anymore imagine God. God is indescribable using intellect. All we really can do is feel God. My cats are surely noble creatures. “Pain” calmly, without hesitation or thought of safety perches on the railing of my balcony porch high on the second floor… can we humans do that? Humans must employ a bit of inanes and insanity to cope with worldly life... yet we continue. Some say there is a spirit that envies humans to hell because God loves us more than that spirit. Then again, we are human spirits… so on… noble? Err, why do you ask?

Answer 4

"Noble" has always meant doing the right thing and based on
the present condition of the planet, man has failed miserably.
I don't know of any beasts that have irreversibly destroyed
the o-zone, or murdered millions of people for power, or
poisoned their food with chemicals, or destroyed rain
forests that were responsible for their very breath. The
supposition that humankind is the most noble of living
creatures is ludicrous and naive.

Answer 5

Human kind is the only species we know of that is capable of being noble. We cannot compare the nobility of humans to the nobility of another species, because this term does not apply to any other species.

The reason for this is that humans are the only beings on earth who are moral agents- no other species can make a choice between doing what is right and doing what is wrong. We impose rightness and wrongness on other animals sometimes, like saying that our dog did something wrong when it chews up our shoes, but we also acknowledge that unless we trained it properly, the dog wouldn't know any better. This is because only humans have the reasoning ability to understand the concept of respect for others' property.

So to answer your question, there is no answer to your question! Until another species appears that is intelligent enough to be capable of moral agency (aliens, perhaps?), we have no comparison to make.

Answer 6

Hu-man (or ha-man) once upon a time meant high-man or "higher man" whereas man (or de man) was ordinary man. Therefore to be "human" was once an aspiration for "de man" (or demon). This is why we can have questions like "where is your humanity?". So, to answer your question...YES! Humans are the noblest of creatures, demons are one of the the least and the word "beast" refers to a creature that has no nobility at all. This world appears to me to be now dominated by demon beasts. "Shaman" translates to; "is high man". Amon.

Answer 7

i believe noble would mean somewhat of a creature that is honourable and good
humankind is nothing like that
we have caused the extinction of hundreds of species, global warming, and we kill each other so often in wars
i don't think that any other animal has done that

Answer 8

O NO! Humankind is probably the most violent race on earth. We are the only species to damage are environment, and hurt are own kind to such unimaginable levels. In short, hell no!

Answer 9

Hardly.

If noble means to be of high character, then we sorely fail in this area. if by character, we mean moral or ethical then, collectively as a species we fail.

Every nation on the planet allows its own citizens to suffer, starve and die where interventions could prevent such outcomes.

Answer 10

No beast is noble.