Muse – Humanity

Where does humanity end and begin? What would we need to lose to be bereft of that thing called humanity? What would something need to gain to attain that esoteric concept.

As I see it, it depends what you define as humanity. If you believe it is the body, how much of the body would you need to lose to be considered something other than human? Limbs? Torso? Brain? What if your thoughts, emotions and instincts could be transferred into a mechanical body that would preserve them and allow them to continue to learn and grow?

Would you still be human?

If it is the thoughts, does that mean that an animal who gained the capability of sentient thought and human-like perceptions could attain humanity? Would its bestial form matter if it had the mental capacity of a human? Would it matter if the creature’s instincts were present or not?

If it is the intangible concept of a soul, does that mean no other creature could attain humanity? How would a human know if his soul were present or absent? If the soul was lost and all other aspects of the person remained the same, what would this person be, if not human?

Personally, I’m more apt to buy into the mental. Humanity is a state of mind, though it isn’t just the capability for free, sentient thought. It is also, in a way, the culture we live in on this planet. Even if something were to gain sentient thought it wouldn’t be human because it hasn’t lived the human experience. However it would remain significant, even if not human.

You become something other than human when you lose your freethinking thought and capacity to understand the human condition. When you can no longer empathize with your fellow humans you lose something of yourself of significance that makes you other than human.

The body is just a shell. Were the thoughts of a man transferred into a toaster in their entirely, I would consider the toaster to be human. Though, admittedly, it wouldn’t be the most convenient form to take. Irregardless, despite the physical form, the truest aspects of the person survive in their thoughts, emotions and ideals. That precludes such matters of little consequence such as race and gender.

The soul I leave undecided as I don’t believe it exists. And because of that, I don’t know its precise function if it does exist, thus I can’t judge it’s potential benefits or what effect losing it would have on someone.

So tell me, what do you think about where humanity ends and begins? What must you lose to be other than human? What must one gain to attain humanity?

I think part of your problem is here that the word ‘humanity’ has too many different meanings. I agree with you that humanity is a state of mind in one respect, but losing the ability to think freely, etc., doesn’t make one no longer human–they’re still a human being, biologically. You raise some pretty interesting points, though. When we say someone is “inhuman”, we usually mean

that they lack compassion for others. So is part of being human feeling connected to other living creatures? Is there a moral code that goes along with being human? Is being human simply the capacity to feel, or do one’s feelings have to fall into a certain category?

lisyl

October 8, 2003

Oh, man, this is way too deep for me. I wish I could remember the 3-part story in Analog a few years back where computer programmers replicated a person’s emotional/mental “being” in the computer, subtracting a certain part from each experimental “being” to see how it would evolve differently from the control. I think you woulda liked it.

Timmy

I think you are using the word “humanity” in place of the word “consciencess”. I know, I spelled it like that on purpose. It’s clear animals have a consciousness, to some degree. But, only humans can invent the concepts of right and wrong; a conscience.

At first, I thought you were going to define what it is to be human. But, then you went in a different direction. My initial thought was, “Well, a human is something that can have sex with another human to create another human.” Seems too recursive a definition. There’s definitely a finite set of DNA possible to create humans.

Finite, because if you manipulate DNA enough, you’ll create something decidedly not human. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Who’s to say where the human race is going? What makes a human? Well, just state what makes us different from other species. State the genetic sequences possible to make a human.

Humanity? Again, sounds more like a conscience. I suppose closer to Freud’s Superego. Something that reasons. We simply call it humanity because we’re the only thing that it can easily be observed in. Dolphins are intelligent, but do they have “humanity”? Depends on your definition. Semantics.

Liberalis Femina

October 9, 2003

For me, humanity is that part of us that cares and empathizes about all of us. For some that might be where their faith is… for others it mighty be conscience. In any case it’s that part of our inner selves that unites us and drives us to be compassionate. Some people lack humanity. Probably because humanity and humility go hand in hand.

Karalys

You know what I like about you, Ren? I mean aside from the very amazing friendship that keeps Luriena sane.. You aren’t afraid to think these thoughts that might never get anywhere, to pose the questions that just birth new questions. You aren’t afraid to Muse. Most people are. You keep me thinking. ~Kind Thoughts~