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I find it ironic that in order to remove the false idea of human exceptionalism, a human does what no other species is capable of doing (self-identify as someth

I find it ironic that in order to remove the false idea of human exceptionalism, a human does what no other species is capable of doing (self-identify as something). This is not about fair treatment of animals or a "realistic" view of our place in the world. This is about abdicating responsibility. Refusing to admit that human beings are exceptional doesn't elevate the value of animals. It lowers our own. It means that, as mere mammals, we are not reasonably bound to any sort of behavioral code or sense of virtue (including ethical treatment of our kindred animal counterparts). Like it or not, we have the unique ability to make or break this planet and the only way to save it is to hold ourselves to a higher standard, not a lower one.

dalke 11y ago
How in the world does this raise or lower our standards? I've heard similar arguments before. In fact, we have a long history of people arguing for exceptionalism, only to find that those views are not worth believing. We should not grant voting rights to women because rather than elevating their position it will lower the exceptional position of men. We should not grant freedom to black slaves because rather than elevate their position it will lower the exceptional position of white people. Atheists and apostates reject the the behavioral code set by divine sources and think that humans are mere animals, not exceptional beings endowed by divine sources as good stewards of the Earth. They abdicate responsibility so must be punished. We are at the center of the universe, and those who say the Earth revolves around the Sun are trying to destroy our exceptional place in the cosmos. Your argument sounds equally as faulty as those sketches.