Off Topic: The Flood
This topic has moved here: Subject: Do humans owe anything to other species?
  • Subject: Do humans owe anything to other species?
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • of 3
Subject: Do humans owe anything to other species?

RIP Logan ~B.B.

I have found that over the years, my views on economy, hunting, religion, politics, war, and a great number of things have shifted because of a rather simple notion. I no longer feel that I am special. Nor do I think anyone reading this is. We, as a species are nothing special. I believe we're as temporary as dinosaurs, and the great apes that came before us.

In paraphrasing Sir Martin Rees, Christopher Hitchens says the following:

Most educated people are aware that we are the outcome of nearly four billion years of Darwinian selection. But many tend to think that humans are still somehow the culmination of that. Our sun, however, is less than half way through it's lifespan. It will not be humans that watch our suns demise six billion years from now. Any creatures that then do exist will be as different from us as we are from bacteria.

When we think of creatures gradually watching the sun die and they're not us. They're as far from us as we are from bacteria. It makes me feel that we must not consider evolution as producing us as it's last word. That would be an insult to any scientific process. We happen to know that even in the measurable distance of the past few thousand years that progress is going on in our brain formation. I think our job is to remain without allusions, integral, intact. Keep the planet the best we can, and pass it on so this experiment gets more interesting.


I agree with him. I think much of our sense of entitlement, greed, and disregard for the lives of others comes from our belief that we are the ultimate species, the apex of life, and superior to all others, destined to use or misuse the planet as we see fit. Yet, the more we learn, the less sure we are of that "fact" that we are anything special. In the grand scheme of things, we may be trivially smarter than a chimp. We see animals that can use tools, animals that recognize themselves, animals that can work together to solve problems, animals that fashion spears to hunt other animals. There is a long list of things we once thought unique to us that turns out to be rather unextraordinary in nature.

As speculation continues about the possibility of microbial life on Mars being confirmed, I'm reminded of what such a discovery would mean to us. It means that life thrives, even where it seems impossible. It would mean that we are not alone. Our planet isn't much more than a pale blue dot amongst the billions and billions of stars, just in our galaxy, that all have planets of their own. Other planets where life can, and likely does thrive, with the universe full of beings that would find it hilarious that we consider ourselves advanced. Even if we don't find another species with the technology we have, I'm still reminded that in a thousand generations, our distant ancestors will probably look back and marvel at our intelligence only in comparison to other primitive creatures.

TLDR: I don't think our dominance as a species will last. We are just another future missing link to something greater, and we do owe it to future species that will be superior to us to keep this place in better shape than we do.

How about you? Do think humans should ever bother to inconvenience themselves for other species that might come next?

  • 11.27.2012 8:39 AM PDT

Rustled Jimmies

I think Humans will remain on top of the food chain no matter what happens on earth.

  • 11.27.2012 8:43 AM PDT

Don't LOL if you aren't L'inOL.

Halo: Reach
Halo 3
Halo ODST

I think humans are stupid.

  • 11.27.2012 8:45 AM PDT

The HELL you are! These are precious gifts to me and they are non-transferable! How dare you regift my challenge prize. You might as well hock a wedding ring for beer money. -DeeJ


Posted by: kimy1688
I think humans are stupid.
To the airlock!

  • 11.27.2012 8:46 AM PDT

We probably should, but we won't, we are to stubborn.

  • 11.27.2012 8:46 AM PDT

Skuldier? Never heard of him...

Yeah. We should have the big brother mentality (considering our level of intelligence in comparison with the rest of the planet) for current and future species of whatever comes next.


That way when our new overlords are wiping out unworthy species they'll remember what we did for them and spare us.

  • 11.27.2012 8:46 AM PDT

It doesnt matter if a species will come after me because by that time i will be dead, I am the apex species right now and god himself cant stop me from doing w/e the hell i want. thats how humans think.

  • 11.27.2012 8:47 AM PDT

we owe them the extinct species back.

  • 11.27.2012 8:49 AM PDT

RIP Logan ~B.B.


Posted by: BuzzKill9009
I think Humans will remain on top of the food chain no matter what happens on earth.

Based on what? We have lived 200,000 years of the planets 4,500,000,000 year existence. We've been undisputed at the top of the food chain for maybe 100,000 of those years. Doesn't seem logical to assume we will dominate the next 6bn years just because we've done well for insignificant fraction of that amount of time.

Imagine how cocky the dinosaurs must have been after ruling the planet for millions of years. Who would have ever thought the furry little rodents scurrying around their feet could come to eclipse them?

[Edited on 11.27.2012 8:51 AM PST]

  • 11.27.2012 8:50 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

We owe a lot to plants.

  • 11.27.2012 8:52 AM PDT

I dont think the dinosaurs felt cocky they were too busy being cool and eating eachother

  • 11.27.2012 8:52 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

I agree with you. Our dominance is going to be very short lived in the grand scheme of life on Earth. It's just a shame to think that humans of today are gradually regressing to a much simpler state when we have such advances in technology.

  • 11.27.2012 8:53 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.

I suspect that (as of this moment) we may be the only species that is capable (or perhaps willing) to entertain and wonder about the concept of "debt" and or what a particular species might "owe to other species".

I don't think that my dogs (the most close non-human species that I interact with) contemplate their species at all. They are concerned with their existence as individuals and while they can think beyond in terms of a pack, I do not believe that they can or do consider their species.

So, I would ask of your question, this. Is any individual or species that is capable of understanding the concept of generational change and legacy under any obligation to then alter their moment to moment existence in response to those concepts of species and legacy?

  • 11.27.2012 8:57 AM PDT

Learn to accept people interest.

This is a Yes and No question you have here.


No we don`t own other species anything. Survival of the fittest basic instinct


Yes we do own the other species on this planet something. We must learn how to keep an equilibrium in our ecosystem. So not to destroy every single natural resources in the area. We should not blindly destroy their homes. How would you like some random derp destroying your house.

  • 11.27.2012 8:58 AM PDT

I am a mute gamer.

We owe it to the fish. Without them, we wouldn't have pills.

  • 11.27.2012 9:04 AM PDT

While I don't think humans are particularly indebted to animals, it would be nice if we didn't torture them quite so much (i.e. battery hens)

----------------
The comedy magic of Gold Coast magician Blaze

[Edited on 11.27.2012 9:16 AM PST]

  • 11.27.2012 9:11 AM PDT

On the Left

Godshatter: I can go all the way with someone without being attracted to them.
CamCamm: How does that work?
Godshatter: I'm easily aroused by anything that moves. It's a curse.
Brain says 'No, that's ugly', body says 'ugly is fine with me'.


Posted by: Obi Wan Stevobi

Posted by: BuzzKill9009
I think Humans will remain on top of the food chain no matter what happens on earth.

Based on what? We have lived 200,000 years of the planets 4,500,000,000 year existence. We've been undisputed at the top of the food chain for maybe 100,000 of those years. Doesn't seem logical to assume we will dominate the next 6bn years just because we've done well for insignificant fraction of that amount of time.

Imagine how cocky the dinosaurs must have been after ruling the planet for millions of years. Who would have ever thought the furry little rodents scurrying around their feet could come to eclipse them?

But one thing we can do better is see potential natural disasters before they happen. So we can have a better chance of preventing our species from being wiped out than the dinos.

I know damn right our species will be gone some day, but we have the means imo to really last long :D

  • 11.27.2012 9:12 AM PDT

RIP Logan ~B.B.


Posted by: Recon Number 54
I suspect that (as of this moment) we may be the only species that is capable (or perhaps willing) to entertain and wonder about the concept of "debt" and or what a particular species might "owe to other species".

I don't think that my dogs (the most close non-human species that I interact with) contemplate their species at all. They are concerned with their existence as individuals and while they can think beyond in terms of a pack, I do not believe that they can or do consider their species.

Well, our ability to travel gives us a better concept of species than most animals are capable of, so as far as an individual animal is concerned, a pack might as well be a species. I think the question that matters is whether or not we are the only species capable of altruistic behavior? The only species that would knowingly go out of their way to help another species? I think the answer is an obvious no. That should be apparent in your dogs. If someone makes a threatening move at you, I doubt their reaction is to wag their tails. I know at least one of my dogs is fearless in defending others. Does he do so because he is defending my species? As far as he knows, I'd argue yes.

The example I find most interesting in the wild is the Cape Buffalo. You can spend hours on youtube finding examples of these animals exhibiting almost inexplicable behavior, risking their lives to attack lions that are targeting a zebra herd, or dolphins rescuing humans from sharks.

So, while they have no means to comprehend species as we do, animals certainly have shown they are willing to make efforts to conserve other species.

So, I would ask of your question, this. Is any individual or species that is capable of understanding the concept of generational change and legacy under any obligation to then alter their moment to moment existence in response to those concepts of species and legacy?
My response is yes, we should have a Prime Directive on that.

  • 11.27.2012 9:14 AM PDT


Posted by: lonepaul2441
Will the humans be Homosapien?? Nope.


Wait what?

  • 11.27.2012 9:14 AM PDT

This is a great thread. I'm reserving this post for when I get out of school so I can fully respond.

  • 11.27.2012 9:15 AM PDT


Posted by: Recon Number 54
So, I would ask of your question, this. Is any individual or species that is capable of understanding the concept of generational change and legacy under any obligation to then alter their moment to moment existence in response to those concepts of species and legacy?
whaa? are you asking if a species that is able to comprehend their existence should change their ways from just caring about surviving to caring about the evolution and legacy of everything else? Maybe, might be a natural part of how a species intelligence evolves and changes nature and the survival of the fittest way of going about things.

  • 11.27.2012 9:16 AM PDT

ooga booga boooh

Self-awareness is such a terrible thing in this sense. It seems that many people like to entertain themselves with that idea that because we exist, we know we exist, and we can contemplate, we are somehow superior.

We owe the world, each other and ourselves proper stewardship and respect. If we could get those two basic things down we'd be alright and able to better enjoy things I believe. We have so little time here in the grand scheme of things, really. We are not special, unfortunately. If we were, we'd not be in half the problems we are.

I can actually agree with OP.

  • 11.27.2012 9:17 AM PDT

  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • of 3