tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392804955786463612.post3824994255458270958..comments2024-01-03T15:34:49.620+00:00Comments on Ian Wardell: Philosophical Thoughts: Neither we nor the Earth are special?Ian Wardellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999029760897196102noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392804955786463612.post-4246942652857127832021-08-03T00:23:10.793+01:002021-08-03T00:23:10.793+01:00I grant that human beings are not of a different *...I grant that human beings are not of a different *type* to other mammals. Indeed, contrary to many scientists beliefs in this regard, I believe that other mammals are just as conscious as we are and that they can experience most of, if not all, the emotions that we humans experience. That is, I believe mammals can feel love, jealousy, and fear etc. My beliefs here are derived from my own experience with dogs and cats and from what I have read. All this also seems to be consonant with the lessons of evolutionary theory.<br /><br />Most pertinently, if we reject that brains in human beings somehow produce consciousness then this surely applies to other mammals brains too. Hence, if our essence is a soul and we survive our deaths, then so will other mammals too and perhaps all conscious animals. <br /><br />So human beings are not special in the sense of being of a radically different nature or essence to other animals. But human beings are special in that we seem to be more intelligent than other animals. We do appear to be very different, although not always in a good way.<br /><br />I imagine that any type of "God" wouldn't create the Universe exclusively for us. Maybe we're the most important, maybe not. I feel probably not, but . .God knows.Ian Wardellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999029760897196102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392804955786463612.post-10543532737160355552021-08-02T19:16:22.811+01:002021-08-02T19:16:22.811+01:00I think we have to differentiate. Life and conscio...I think we have to differentiate. Life and consciousness are special, but not the human being as such. And why should the belief in God necessitate the belief in human's exceptionalism? We might well believe that God did not create the universe for us, bit for life and the emergence of consciousness, and that we are not something particularly special in the evolutionary history. Eventually we will be surpassed by a more evolved species making us appear as monkeys in comparison.Marco Masihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07586330422944812099noreply@blogger.com