Why, as a species, do we hold ourselves higher than all others?

Question

It's almost impossible to get a direct answer as to why human beings seem to think they are god's gift (no religious pun intended!) I spoke to one person who told me that if they had to make a decision between saving a child's life and entire species, he would choose the child. Why is this? What does the child bring to the whole of existence and the universe which apparently has a much greater effect than a species has on an entire ecosystem? It's normal for all species to want to survive and propogate their own, and if your son or daughter approached a pride of lions, he or she would surely have their head torn off, but why, seeing as how intelligent we are, do we proceed to treat all others with such disregard and selfishness? EVEN to members of our own species?

So yes, for once I'd like a clear and concise answer (and I refuse to acknowledge any religious referances, so don't even bother,) as to why we deem ourselves so incredibly important above all others.

Answer 1

Make no mistake - there is only so much stuff to go around. Whatever it is you want to pick, it's a pretty sure bet that something else wants it. Space to live. Food. Water. You can't BOTH have it. And much of the time the entity that doesn't get it is going to be dead.

That and that alone is enough to make us better than pretty much anything else you're likely to have run into. We take almost anything we want and pretty near nothing can stop us. We have earned the right to live. And everything else dies - or lives - at OUR choosing.

Don't think for a second that most creatures would not do the same were the tables turned. 99.99% of all species were gone LONG before we ever arrived on the scene. I'm sure any number of them were eliminated for simply not being aggressive enough and playing nice with others who were happy to take advantage of that situation.

Nor is this a license to destroy everything. It is the act of a fool or a madman to burn down your house while you are still inside. It is BECAUSE everything is ours (and it's ours because nothing can stop us) that we must take careful care of it. There is no one else to blame if we don't like how things turn out.

But that is why we are better. Sheer unadulterated power. Is there really any other standard by which to measure? If there is, it won't last unless the powerful WISH it to.

Answer 2

While most people do not even realize it, their attitude towards other species and life forms on the Earth comes from the inborn concept that we are sentient beings. We can think, we can rationalize, we have emotions and act on those emotions rather than instinct. We can think and solve problems in a way that other creatures cannot. Because of the opposing thumb arrangement on our hands we are capable of building and manipulating things to our desire. This in turn causes humans to feel superior to other creatures. We have developed our society and structure to the point that we can literally obliterate an living thing we dislike. And, while many people do have a guilty conscience about our actions and blatant disregard for other life forms, the underlying fact remains that the human has been the most successful and intelligent creature to date. The overwhelming majority of people on this planet have no regard for the killing of other creatures as a food source. While animals use instinct of survival to acquire food, humans will contrive methods of exploring any and all living things on the planet as an alternative food. We have come to see ourselves as unlimited in our quest to be the superior species and our ability to do just that. Until the time comes when destruction of other life forms on the planet actually does global damage and affects the lives of humans, I'm afraid that humans will continue to have a total disregard for other species. That, of course, is strictly my personal opinion. Who knows, maybe someday a superior creature may eveolve and humans will make the full circle and go back to being the hunted rather than the hunter!!!!

Answer 3

"Humans are the only animal that blushes. Or needs to"
-Mark Twain

What makes humans higher than all other animals is the fact that we ask ourselves the very question you just asked. A sabertoothed cat had no qualms about viciously mauling an Australopethicus (pre-human ape) for its meal, but we as humans respond negatively to a person who wantonly tortures animals. There are people who still do it, but then again, to paraphrase Nietzsche, Humanity is merely a transitional species between Apes and the Overmen, so there are still those among us who are not quite so evolved. We have a moral obligation to put a stop to those type of people.

As a secular person, I do not get into the business of stating that man is the "best" animal. In nature, there is no best animal. Take the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex, the pinnacle of dinosaur evolution, but utterly powerless to survive the way small mammals survived.

I will say that we are the most unique animal because we have moved beyond the neutrality of nature, and our actions fall into terms of Good and evil. Despite being one of the most frail animals that ever existed, we are now one of the most successful, and because we possess intelligence, we possess the ability to act good or evil. For every evil human, there are good ones who fight him. But even this is refinement of good and evil is a mere transition. Going back to Nietzsche, the Ubermensch is beyond good and evil because to the ubermensch, virtueousness is an end in itself, so he does not need the concept of good and evil to do the right thing.

Until then, all we can do is ensure that good remains dominant over evil, to ensure our evolution into the Overman. Nihilism awaits us if we fail, and given the fact that humans possess nuclear weapons well, failure is not an option.

Answer 4

We may not be better, but we are different. There is no other species on earth with a brain like ours. There is no other species with the capability to be communicating the way we are right now.
Yes, there are other intelligent animals like chimps and dolphins, and we have a tendency to underestimate them (and others).
But there is no other species of animal that has used their brains the way we have, or
had the impact on the Earth (and maybe the solar system) that humanity has. That's just a fact. It doesn't make us better, but we are in a special category.

Answer 5

Simply put, because we can. Philosopher Peter Singer would call this thinking species-ism. This the idea that one species is superior to another. However, I would encourage you the asker to engage in analytic philosophy and explain what you mean when you say higher. Higher with respect to what: deference/respect/esteem or do you mean status/position? Or perhaps you're referring to superiority, that is to say, moral superiority. Finally as far as your lion reference goes, a lion behaves the way it does because it's in the lion's nature to do so. We as humans are no different. To quote Hobbes and Locke, in the state of nature we[humans] are nasty and brutish. Therefore, humans act selfishly because it's in our nature to do so. In a sense we're no different from the lion. We do what's in our nature. Make sure define things clearly before you ask so broad a question, then add details to it

Answer 6

I was actually wondering the same thing myself. I think it's because we can. We think that we so superior because we know how make things and live in a "civilized" manner. But I think humans are the stupidest species on earth because we care more about ourselves than the place that ensures our survival. If you want you should read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. It deals kinda with the same thing, and it's a really good book.

Answer 7

You spelled out the problem yourself. Your not willing to accept any religious references. It is immediately perceptible that a humans life is of greater value than an animals, but you have confused yourself by rejecting religion and are confusing it more by drawing it into question. Just remember you can always change your opinion. I don't want to preach but this is your problem.

Answer 8

It is from ignorance and ignorance alone that mankind must free itself,
The Oracle at Delphi
This is not a religious based adage but a philosophical statement of great meaning and should be meditated on as there is much truth here.

Answer 9

Its simple, regardless of your theological affiliation or lack thereof.

Self interest.

We like the idea that we are the most important because we are direct beneficiaries to this idea.

The difference between humans and other living things is that we have the intelligence to exploit all things and the arrogance to think that it is OK.

~Toll Booth Willy

Answer 10

It is because we are at the top of the food chain. That makes us superior in the link. It also has something to do with having an opposing digit. (Our Thumbs) give us considerable advantages over all other species.