Abstract. While growing empirical evidence suggests a continuity between human and non-human psychology, many philosophers still think that only humans can act
Do you think this is something intrinsically human, or just something that most humans seem to do, but with some exceptions? I admittedly know very little about this, but it seems like it would be hard for anyone to be able to determine if a particular group was ultimately rational or not in either direction. Until, I suppose, the group manages to destroy themselves entirely or something.
The future just may show that wrecking the environment we live in and wiping out countless members of other species that we share a complex interdependent ecosystem with is actually less rational than simply surviving and reproducing without doing too much harm to many other populations. In which case it may be that humans are one of the least rational species to have had existed.
species that we share a complex interdependent ecosystem with is actually less rational than simply surviving and reproducing
I completely disagree that we are the only species that does that. Yes, we are the only one that knows we are doing it but that is a different issue.
If you read up on an invasive species you will realise that, if they can, pretty much any organism will breed and expand uncontrollably until they destroy the other species in the eco system.
The black death, which killed 1/3 - 1/2 of the European population was simply a bacteria expanding its population to the determent of the other species (humans, rats and other mammals).
In which case it may be that humans are one of the least rational species to have had existed.
I am saying that no species (including humans) is rational. So many humans think because of our intelligence we are somehow different from all other life on this planet. To me it only empathises that we are just the same as all the others. We know the damage we are causing but honestly, the majority of humans do not care as they value their own life over everything else.
I am not saying this to lessen the tragedy of what humans are doing to the planet but to think we are different from other life on earth is one of the reasons or justifications people use to hand-wave away the need for humans to collectively change our ways.
You make some really great points. That information on the GOE is very interesting, thank you. I wonder how possible it would be for something like that to happen again. I hadn’t considered the black death and plagues in that way. I wonder how they stack up against humans so far as devastation across the whole world goes, purhaps it may be pretty hard to calculate. I did see this article the other day that says, on average 69% of wildlife vertebrate populations have been wiped since 1970.
It certainly does seem to be the case that if other animals were given the chance they would be as destructive as us. As a group we do maybe show some potential for improving. Our relationship with whales inspires some hope. We were getting close to completely destroying many species of them, but have been able to reverse the trend, largely thanks to Roger Payne.
I wonder how possible it would be for something like that to happen again.
From one point of view that is what humans are doing right now.
The GOE happened because one type of life started filling the atmosphere with a waste gas that was massively determent to other species around them, in their case it was oxygen in its pure form.
What humans are doing now is filling the atmosphere with a waste gas that is massively determent to other species around them in our case it is carbon dioxide.
It certainly does seem to be the case that if other animals were given the chance they would be as destructive as us.
Yes, the main drive of all life is to create more copies of themselves, at all costs and without regard to how it affects others.
When we see a balance in an eco-system, it is not something that has come about by mutual agreement. It is that the various species have fought with each other to a standstill. Each is trying to expand endlessly but has been stopped by all the other competing species trying to do the same.
That is why introduced/novel species can be so destructive to a local eco-system. They are bring to the fight new weapons or tactics that the locals have never seen before and have no defences against.
Do you think this is something intrinsically human, or just something that most humans seem to do, but with some exceptions? I admittedly know very little about this, but it seems like it would be hard for anyone to be able to determine if a particular group was ultimately rational or not in either direction. Until, I suppose, the group manages to destroy themselves entirely or something.
The future just may show that wrecking the environment we live in and wiping out countless members of other species that we share a complex interdependent ecosystem with is actually less rational than simply surviving and reproducing without doing too much harm to many other populations. In which case it may be that humans are one of the least rational species to have had existed.
I completely disagree that we are the only species that does that. Yes, we are the only one that knows we are doing it but that is a different issue.
If you read up on an invasive species you will realise that, if they can, pretty much any organism will breed and expand uncontrollably until they destroy the other species in the eco system.
The black death, which killed 1/3 - 1/2 of the European population was simply a bacteria expanding its population to the determent of the other species (humans, rats and other mammals).
Humans are causing a mass extinction, but we are not the only life form on earth to do so.
I am saying that no species (including humans) is rational. So many humans think because of our intelligence we are somehow different from all other life on this planet. To me it only empathises that we are just the same as all the others. We know the damage we are causing but honestly, the majority of humans do not care as they value their own life over everything else.
I am not saying this to lessen the tragedy of what humans are doing to the planet but to think we are different from other life on earth is one of the reasons or justifications people use to hand-wave away the need for humans to collectively change our ways.
You make some really great points. That information on the GOE is very interesting, thank you. I wonder how possible it would be for something like that to happen again. I hadn’t considered the black death and plagues in that way. I wonder how they stack up against humans so far as devastation across the whole world goes, purhaps it may be pretty hard to calculate. I did see this article the other day that says, on average 69% of wildlife vertebrate populations have been wiped since 1970.
It certainly does seem to be the case that if other animals were given the chance they would be as destructive as us. As a group we do maybe show some potential for improving. Our relationship with whales inspires some hope. We were getting close to completely destroying many species of them, but have been able to reverse the trend, largely thanks to Roger Payne.
From one point of view that is what humans are doing right now.
The GOE happened because one type of life started filling the atmosphere with a waste gas that was massively determent to other species around them, in their case it was oxygen in its pure form.
What humans are doing now is filling the atmosphere with a waste gas that is massively determent to other species around them in our case it is carbon dioxide.
Yes, the main drive of all life is to create more copies of themselves, at all costs and without regard to how it affects others.
When we see a balance in an eco-system, it is not something that has come about by mutual agreement. It is that the various species have fought with each other to a standstill. Each is trying to expand endlessly but has been stopped by all the other competing species trying to do the same.
That is why introduced/novel species can be so destructive to a local eco-system. They are bring to the fight new weapons or tactics that the locals have never seen before and have no defences against.