What makes humans special? (Venue B:Starbucks)

THE VENUE: Starbucks

It's autumn so we will meet indoors for the next few months

When we meet indoors, we run the same event in two locations: Caffè Nero and Starbucks, so as to provide capacity for as many people who would like to attend, without overwhelming any one venue. Thus, there will be two events published, and you can choose which one to attend. Please don't sign up for both. This event is for the Starbucks location.

We meet upstairs at Starbucks. An organiser will be present from 10.45. We are not charged for use of the space so it would be good if everyone bought at least one drink.

An attendee limit has been set so as not to overwhelm the venue.

Etiquette
Our discussions are friendly and open. We are a discussion group, not a for-and-against debating society. But it helps if we try to stay on topic. And we should not talk over others, interrupt them, or try to dominate the conversation.

There is often a waiting list for places, so please cancel your attendance as soon as possible if you subsequently find you can't come.

WhatsApp groups
We have two WhatsApp groups. One is to notify events, including extra events such as meeting for a meal or a drink during the week which we don't normally put on the Meetup site. The other is for open discussion of whatever topics occur to people. If you would like to join either or both groups, please send a note of the phone number you would like to use to Richard Baron on: website.audible238@passmail.net. (This is an alias that can be discarded if it attracts spam, hence the odd words.)

THE TOPIC: What makes humans special?

This week's topic has been prepared by Duncan.

We humans seem to think we're pretty special, exceptional even. We point to the the things that differentiate ourselves from other creatures, and may claim this is a difference of degree or a difference of kind.

Examples of such differences include:

• abstract thought and reasoning
• complex language
• self-awareness and consciousness
• society, culture and technology
• environmental control

Others say that what makes us special is the fact that we may be the only example of 'intelligent life' in the universe. That gives us significance at a cosmic scale.

Those who claim a difference of kind say that the gap between ourselves and our next nearest relatives, the great apes, is so vast that it's not just a matter of degree, and that matters. (That gap may exist because other hominids have disappeared, having been assimilated or out-competed by homo sapiens.)

Clearly, these abilities have allowed us to compete for resources, thrive, and develop in ways and to a degree that other species haven't. We look at ourselves and see special features that we don't see in other creatures.

Further, we seem to claim that these abilities give us certain moral rights to control and exploit other creatures and the wider environment. Even within humankind, over the arc of history some humans have claimed a right to exercise these powers over other humans, because they differ by sex, race or some other characteristic that we think significant.

But our claim to being exceptional can be challenged. The advantages we point to seem important to us because they are the things that we value or have helped us thrive and survive. They are important because they are important to us.

Religious faith isn't much help here, or at least in some interpretations. In the book of Genesis, God gives humanity "dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth". Whether the word "dominion" should be interpreted as authority and control, or as responsibility and stewardship, is unclear and a matter for conjecture.

Perhaps it is perfectly reasonable that we should exploit our abilities to compete for finite resources to the advantage of our species. After all, we think it perfectly reasonable to prefer the rights of our nearest and dearest over people in the next town or country, all other things being equal. Peter Singer might disagree though.

What would an 'ideal' dispassionate observer - with no no skin in game, so to speak - think ? Would they agree with our evaluation and that the things we find important are in fact important and a moral basis for our actions ? Or would they say that the stuff ants do is just as valuable ?

We could imagine being visited by a race of aliens, superior in intelligence but benign towards us. Would they allow us to carry on as we are, or with their exceptional abilities and 'knowing better' than us, might they treat us as pets or cattle with fewer moral rights ?

Are we just being hubristic in our self-importance ? Or are we doing what any other species would do, if the tables were turned ? Perhaps we are justified in claiming some moral authority over other creatures - as human parents do over their children - but should just act more wisely.

You might find this lecture by Bernard Williams useful and thought provoking. Here is a transcript and a link to the video, although it is rather long so is certainly not 'required reading': https://cluelesspoliticalscientist.wordpress.com/2019/05/25/the-human-prejudice-bernard-williams-lecture-transcript/