I would agree that humans could have the ability to be cannibals under the right circumstances. As a matter of survival, we think of ourselves first. We may think of ourselves first if it means doing anything possible to keep our young alive so our genes are passed on. We may do something special so we know we are that "good significant other" to our special someone. In reality, do we ever do anything completely selfless?
On the other hand, through language we can moralize or dispute what we're trying to do. We can stop someone's bad day with encouraging words. We can hurt someone with angry words. We can say "I love you" or "I hate you". Words give us a choice in our actions.
This matters because this gives humans a power over most other species on this planet. We want to be able to control others and ourselves with words. And we want to be able to do that well. A well-written document can start a war or start a marriage. Language is the great moral reformer since we have so much power, good or bad, when we gain the ability to use it.
While this post makes humans seem like selfish creatures, I do believe they have the capablity to be good. During the Holocaust, someone can exchange vowels at the same time as a Nazi solider is yelling how worthless they are and threatening to kill. We obviously have the need to survive that causes us to be selfish, but the ability to exchange our intricate language gives us the choice to moralize our actions, good or bad.
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Interesting point about how language has given us power over the rest of the animals. The moment of "subdue the earth." Of course, I don't think we have subdued cockroaches and rats or fireants. I think the fireants will be around long after humans are gone. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree that humans have the ability to choose, but that in times of life or death situations we will be selfish and eat another human.
ReplyDeleteIn the worst sercomstances we loose our ability to choose to turn away from our primal instincts. Just like the Donner Party or the Soccer team that crashed in the mountains, when we must we will cannabilise to survive.
Yes we as humans make the daily choice to not eat one another, but we don't need to. In our society food is pleantiful as is judgement for immoral actions.
I really like your point about all humans being selfish, but language is their choice to be good, by what they say, do, etc. Language is powerful because you can choose between using it for good or evil, and that choice will prove the morality of the person.
ReplyDeleteI love how you say "words give us a choice in our actions." It seems that everyone agrees on the point that humans may be born canibals but through language these instincts are surpressed.
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