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The point is that any human did that at all, whereas no other species has.

by dartos 2y ago

defrost 2y ago
No human has run faster than a cheetah nor flown like an eagle. What is your point that elevates the value of human life above that of other animals?
- dartos 2y ago
  > No human has run faster than a cheetah nor flown like an eagle. No, but we have and regularly do move faster than any cheetah and fly higher and further than any eagle. My point is that, to an objective observer, there are things that humans have done and can do that make us obviously separate, as a species, than any other animal on earth. The scale of our combined efforts dwarf the efforts of other animals. Especially when considering that, physically, we have very few advantages over other animals. Arguing against that point is just playing mental gymnastics to say “oh actually humans aren’t really exceptional” Idk what that might say about the “value” (whatever that means) of human life compared to other life. A concrete example would be climate change. Humans have been pumping the atmosphere full of shit for a long time and it’s causing global climate changes. No other animal has affected the climate at that scale. Bad or not, that kind of thing makes us humans exceptional.
  - Dalewyn 2y ago
    >No other animal has affected the climate at that scale. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxidation_Event https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxidation_Event The environmental impact humans have had, if any, is astronomically negligible. Even if it wasn't, we certainly aren't the first and certainly won't be the last.
    - dartos 2y ago
      Again with the mental gymnastics > This began approximately 2.460–2.426 Ga (billion years) ago during the Siderian period and ended approximately 2.060 Ga ago during the Rhyacian So it took them what, like 400M years? Our Industrial Revolution was 500ish years ago? Hell, we’ve only been around for 10k years.The scale of that is wildly different. Also let’s not forget that we can quickly change the atmosphere’s composition, leave the planet and return, move faster than any cheetah, and fly higher and further than any eagle. All of that and more. The rate of change of our species’ capabilities seem to change much faster than other animals as well It’s crazy that you’re serious, I’m sorry.
      - Dalewyn 2y ago
        >Our Industrial Revolution was 500ish years ago? Yeah, and we're talking about maybe we could cause the oceans to rise a few fractions of an inch in that time. The impact of humanity has been massively overblown by people like you, which only take away from any worthwhile conversation.
        dartos 2y ago
        You must’ve just skimmed the conversation. My point is that an objective observer looking at the world would absolutely recognize that humanity is an exceptional species (not necessarily in a good or bad way) among all that exist on earth in many ways. The impact we have on the planet is non-negligible. A few fractions of an inch in 500 years (effectively instant on a geological timescale) is indeed meaningful, but not what I’m trying to argue. > people like you You know next to nothing about me. Try not to generalize.
        Dalewyn 2y ago
        I can infer enough about you from our conversation to reaffirm my point that human society is predicated on humans being special. It is our instinctive nature to place ourselves upon a pedestal and look down upon all non-human life, and you're demonstrating that in spades. I'm not going to say this is human nature, because I think all species have the same instinctive frame of mind if we could but communicate with them. I have no doubt that elephants look down upon us as crazy apes, but I have no way to prove that since I don't speak elephant.
        dartos 2y ago
        > I can infer enough about you from our conversation to reaffirm my point that human society is predicated on humans being special. “Based on this one comment thread, I know enough about you to be able to tell that all of human society is based on humans being special“ Is a crazy statement that has next to nothing to do with the conversation I’ve been having…

The point is that any human did that at all, whereas no other species has.

by dartos 2y ago

The point is that any human did that at all, whereas no other species has.

No human has run faster than a cheetah nor flown like an eagle. What is your point that elevates the value of human life above that of other animals?

dartos 2y ago
> No human has run faster than a cheetah nor flown like an eagle. No, but we have and regularly do move faster than any cheetah and fly higher and further than any eagle. My point is that, to an objective observer, there are things that humans have done and can do that make us obviously separate, as a species, than any other animal on earth. The scale of our combined efforts dwarf the efforts of other animals. Especially when considering that, physically, we have very few advantages over other animals. Arguing against that point is just playing mental gymnastics to say “oh actually humans aren’t really exceptional” Idk what that might say about the “value” (whatever that means) of human life compared to other life. A concrete example would be climate change. Humans have been pumping the atmosphere full of shit for a long time and it’s causing global climate changes. No other animal has affected the climate at that scale. Bad or not, that kind of thing makes us humans exceptional.
- Dalewyn 2y ago
  >No other animal has affected the climate at that scale. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxidation_Event https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxidation_Event The environmental impact humans have had, if any, is astronomically negligible. Even if it wasn't, we certainly aren't the first and certainly won't be the last.
  - dartos 2y ago
    Again with the mental gymnastics > This began approximately 2.460–2.426 Ga (billion years) ago during the Siderian period and ended approximately 2.060 Ga ago during the Rhyacian So it took them what, like 400M years? Our Industrial Revolution was 500ish years ago? Hell, we’ve only been around for 10k years.The scale of that is wildly different. Also let’s not forget that we can quickly change the atmosphere’s composition, leave the planet and return, move faster than any cheetah, and fly higher and further than any eagle. All of that and more. The rate of change of our species’ capabilities seem to change much faster than other animals as well It’s crazy that you’re serious, I’m sorry.
    - Dalewyn 2y ago
      >Our Industrial Revolution was 500ish years ago? Yeah, and we're talking about maybe we could cause the oceans to rise a few fractions of an inch in that time. The impact of humanity has been massively overblown by people like you, which only take away from any worthwhile conversation.
      - dartos 2y ago
        You must’ve just skimmed the conversation. My point is that an objective observer looking at the world would absolutely recognize that humanity is an exceptional species (not necessarily in a good or bad way) among all that exist on earth in many ways. The impact we have on the planet is non-negligible. A few fractions of an inch in 500 years (effectively instant on a geological timescale) is indeed meaningful, but not what I’m trying to argue. > people like you You know next to nothing about me. Try not to generalize.
        Dalewyn 2y ago
        I can infer enough about you from our conversation to reaffirm my point that human society is predicated on humans being special. It is our instinctive nature to place ourselves upon a pedestal and look down upon all non-human life, and you're demonstrating that in spades. I'm not going to say this is human nature, because I think all species have the same instinctive frame of mind if we could but communicate with them. I have no doubt that elephants look down upon us as crazy apes, but I have no way to prove that since I don't speak elephant.
        dartos 2y ago
        > I can infer enough about you from our conversation to reaffirm my point that human society is predicated on humans being special. “Based on this one comment thread, I know enough about you to be able to tell that all of human society is based on humans being special“ Is a crazy statement that has next to nothing to do with the conversation I’ve been having…