What instrinsic qualities define "human nature"?

[larryindiana219]

That is, what do you think is inherent to all of mankind regardless of race, gender, or culture -- positive as well as negative? And why?

 

[nawth21]

Fight or flight response.

 

[hovkid]

 

[larryindiana219]

Originally Posted by HOVKid

The question itself? And you made it through law school?

 

[justhotkicks]

Originally Posted by LarryIndiana219

HOVKid wrote:

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The question itself? And you made it through law school?


Do your own HW.

 

[larryindiana219]

Originally Posted by justhotkicks

Originally Posted by LarryIndiana219

HOVKid wrote:

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The question itself? And you made it through law school?

Do your own HW.

Um.... what homework? I'm done for the sememester champ. I write essays for fun. This is independent study.

 

[proper english]

desire for power, control?

 

[darthska]

One of the things that separates mankind from other species on the globe is the fact that we go to school.

Take, for example, the college you go to.

So what class is this paper for?

 

[moonmaster3]

Self interest.

 

[proper english]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

One of the things that separates mankind from other species on the globe is the fact that we go to school.

what does this really mean? that we are the only "intelligent" species around?

 

[larryindiana219]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

One of the things that separates mankind from other species on the globe is the fact that we go to school.

Take, for example, the college you go to.

So what class is this paper for?

.. like I said..

 

[darthska]

LarryIndiana219:

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23ska909red02:

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One of the things that separates mankind from other species on the globe is the fact that we go to school.

Take, for example, the college you go to.

So what class is this paper for?

.. like I said..
Fair enough. I'll play along.

proper english:

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23ska909red02:

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One of the things that separates mankind from other species on the globe is the fact that we go to school.
what does this really mean? that we are the only "intelligent" species around?
No.

It means we go to school.

And other species don't.

Are there professors in a pride of lions? Deans among a flock of geese? Straight A students in a school of fish? Levels of degrees in the jungle? Differentfields of study/majors in the deep, blue sea?

 

[larryindiana219]

By the way.. I don't really like that answer ska.. School is just a construct of society... not really "human nature" per say... I don'tthink

 

[general johnson]

How is school "human nature"?

Bad answer.

I think the desire to be able to explain things is human nature.

That desire led to the sciences, religions, etc.

 

[nawth21]

Not every human in the world goes to school.

 

[proper english]

Originally Posted by General Johnson

How is school "human nature"?

Bad answer.

yea that's what i meant.. like seriously.. a colony of Ants don't need to go to school to be successful

.. theyre just born to do it.. so how doesthat make them inferior?

 

[darthska]

proper english:

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General Johnson:

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How is school "human nature"?

Bad answer.
yea that's what i meant.. like seriously.. a colony of Ants don't need to go to school to be successful

.. theyre just born to do it.. so how does that make them inferior?
Who said anything about inferiority? The question was asked 'What is inherent in mankind?' I interpreted that as 'What makes mankind aspecies unique among other species?'

Not every human in the world goes to school, but in what other species does school exist?

Of all the species, extinct or current, I can only think of one that has used school.

Do you guys know of others?

 

[diego]

Every human in the world is greedy.

Some just suppress their greed more than others.

 

[larryindiana219]

Originally Posted by Diego

Every human in the world is greedy.

Some just supress their greed more than others.

This, I like.

Whether it be for money, notoriety, food, or what have you...

my very first answer was along the lines of "Humans seek prosperity and abundance in all things. We'll never be the type of creatures to find anequilibrium with the world around us now that we've conquered it."

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Not every human in the world goes to school, but in what other species does school exist?

Of all the species, extinct or current, I can only think of one that has used school.

Do you guys know of others?

Fish... lulz...

 

[diego]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Not every human in the world goes to school, but in what other species does school exist?

Of all the species, extinct or current, I can only think of one that has used school.

Do you guys know of others?

It still doesnt make school part of human nature.
There are still many primitive societies around the world. Are they not human even though they dont go to school?

 

[larryindiana219]

Originally Posted by Diego

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Not every human in the world goes to school, but in what other species does school exist?

Of all the species, extinct or current, I can only think of one that has used school.

Do you guys know of others?

It still doesnt make school part of human nature.
There are still many primitive societies around the world. Are they not human even though they dont go to school?

Like I said, school is just a construct of society. It's a technological and functional advancement on the concept of learning. Almost all creatureslearn, we have just found a way to make it more systematic, controlled, and predictable. Nothing special... Animals go to "school" in their own way,they just don't build buildings or write text books for their "courses". On the flipside, some humans don't have schools. I could be wrong,but I'm sure nomadic Monguls don't go to universities. But they still learn in their own way.

Schooling is not inherently human.

 

[general johnson]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Not every human in the world goes to school, but in what other species does school exist?

Of all the species, extinct or current, I can only think of one that has used school.

Do you guys know of others?

Like dude said, school is a construct of society.

The passing of "knowledge" doesn't only exist with humans. There are plenty of animals that pass knowledge to successive generations, e.g.teaching offspring how/where to hunt, where to find water, etc.

It is a human trait to want to explain things, even if the explanation is not based in reality, e.g. humans all over the world have come up with a number ofreasons as to why the Sun rises every day.

 

[juggy4805]

Originally Posted by Diego

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Not every human in the world goes to school, but in what other species does school exist?

Of all the species, extinct or current, I can only think of one that has used school.

Do you guys know of others?

It still doesnt make school part of human nature.
There are still many primitive societies around the world. Are they not human even though they dont go to school?

A sense of history and story telling. However I am not sure if other species do this in some capacity.

 

[larryindiana219]

Originally Posted by General Johnson

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Not every human in the world goes to school, but in what other species does school exist?

Of all the species, extinct or current, I can only think of one that has used school.

Do you guys know of others?

Like dude said, school is a construct of society.

The passing of "knowledge" doesn't only exist with humans. There are plenty of animals that pass knowledge to successive generations, e.g. teaching offspring how/where to hunt, where to find water, etc.

It is a human trait to want to explain things, even if the explanation is not based in reality, e.g. humans all over the world have come up with a number of reasons as to why the Sun rises every day.

I think you hit on something huge... humans may be the only creatures on this planet that are aware of their own mortality. Sure, animals fear death, but dothey ponder on it? I wonder if any other animals even have to capacity to envision the paradox of "life after death"

A sense of history and story telling. However I am not sure if other species do this in some capacity.


Great Apes have their way of passing life lessons down through generations. I was sitting in class half sleep a few months ago and Prof was saying somethingabout how only the chimps whose mothers used tools learned how to use tools themselves. Monkey see, monkey do I guess.. it's the same with survivingdroughts and what not.

 

[darthska]

Screw all of you.

My answer was solid.

I are smart.

Nah, I'm saying, though... even if school is reduced to simply being 'a technological and functional advancement on the concept of learning'; whatother species use 'a technological and functional advancement on the concept of learning'?

And other primitive species that don't go to school are human, yes. I didn't say that ALL humans must go to school in order to be included in thespecies 'mankind'. I'm simply saying that when you look at all the species, past and present, and you evaluate and list the differences betweenthem, I would include 'the use of a technological and functional advancement on the concept of learning' as something that separates mankind from everyother species.