Who are we and what are we doing on Earth? - my favorite post from Conscious Animals!!

in #philosophy7 years ago

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The post goes like this:

Why the name “Conscious Animals”? The title is meant to be a humble reminder to realize the place and role of humanity on Earth, and in a wider sense, in the whole Universe. Nowadays, it is widely acknowledged that human beings are not the only species on Earth with consciousness – apes, dolphins, parrots and so on, are also proven to be conscious beings with emotions, morality and culture. In fact, science tells us that certain animals can demonstrate social, cognitive and kinesthetic abilities equal or even superior to human beings.

However, despite of our obvious similarities to other species, we are unique in terms of our ability to use thought and language. The possession of a large relative brain size and complex brain structure enables us to think abstractly, communicate at different levels, learn from experience, imagine and create new things. With the aid of these mental tools, we managed to develop a scientific understanding of ourselves and the world surrounding us, invented technology and created arts on a vast scale that are incomparable to that of any other known species.

On one hand, it feels quite sublime that the matter constituting the known Universe manifested only in human beings in a structured way that makes us capable of thinking about the world we live in, but on the other hand, it is rather sobering that the more we get to know about our environment, the smaller we become in the overall significance of things. Because what are we after all, if not some complex of matter and energy, yet another living organism on Earth, self-conscious animals with a feeble spark of intellect.

What do you guys think?

See Conscious Animals blog on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consciousanimals/photos/a.345737739091918.1073741828.340533352945690/345753155757043/?type=3

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