According to Jason G. Goldman, writing in “Do animals have imagination?”, case studies of chimpanzees, Kakama, Kanzi, Viki, and Koko, show that their behaviors are pretty much like human based on mental complication, in particular young children, such as pretending and having imaginations.
So, what are the differences between human and non-human animals? I’m not sure how to distinguish both of them by not using scientific facts, such as animal hierarchy and appearance. If I regard intellectual, I am not sure that Piggy still be a human? In contrast, if I consider behaviors, such as socializing, I again not sure that Simon still be human or not? And If I count from taken responsibility for their own actions, I think that the littluns would not be humans.
As Peter reminded me about one of my favorite film “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011). The haunted dark film poster wasn’t attracted me that much, except the name of James Franco, my favorite actor. He plays the leading role as Will, who call himself father of his chimpanzee son, Caesar. I don’t want to spoil the plot but I will tell you that all the apes in this film are computer graphics. Using the real actors as substitutes helps to create actions which are very much likes real apes. In facts, I kept wondering how the director directs chimpanzees when I was in the cinema. But I found the fact later on YouTube.
I normally don’t like to stay near all kinds of animals because I think we better live separately. Although I love to go to the zoos and aquariums, I’ve never been too close to their cages or tanks. I am terrified and feel bad for them to live in those fake jungles. What I actually do is watching and sketching their fascinating body structures. But I wonder every time I go there that can we, as humans, listen or understand them one day in the near future? Yes, it sounds abstract but I really want to know. The facts is that they can't properly tell us what they have in minds. Do they feel happy for meals zookeeper provided to them? Or do they think that humans placed them into small-scale version of their natural homes? How’s good if we know what they have in minds! We will all know each other needs. At least we might all become vegetarian if animals can talk.
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Sorn's questions in paragraph 2 about what a human being is would be very relevant to anyone answering question 4, which no one has chosen this term. It's relatively easy, but it still took me a fairly long sentence to adequately say what I think a human being is and is not in my thesis statement that answers that question.
ReplyDeleteAnd if something is a human being, does that mean it must also be a person? (I think not.)
Conversely, if something is a person, does that mean it must also be a human being? (Again, I think not.) So I need a strong definition of person to allow me to pick out which human beings are and which are not persons. But perhaps you disagree with me, as Bas seems to, or at least seemed to last week.
I didn't know the apes were all CGI creations done by computer. As I was watching the film again last night, I was wondering exactly the same thing as Sorn: how had the director got them to do what he wanted so well? It's much easier if the computer did it all.
ReplyDeleteAnd that brings me to The Matrix films, which also seem to me to explore notions of what it is to be both a human being and a person. But it being the weekend, I have to dash off to AUA for an early, seriously early, morning class, so someone else can carry on this potentially illuminating discussion.
I still think of The Matrix films as recent hits, but 1999 isn't all that recent. But the films, especially the first one, do powerfully portray some interesting questions about being a human being and being a person, as well the nature of reality and what we might and might not be able to know about that.
DeleteBut my coffee is finished now.
"And If I count from taken responsibility for their own actions, I think that the littluns would not be humans" (¶ 2).
ReplyDeleteOr are they human beings but not persons? When do human beings normally become persons? Do all human beings ever become persons?
Sorn's questions are very stimulaing.
And in the same chapter of Quest 2 from which I took the reading in which Hartmann spends three body paragraphs giving the definition of abnormality that she prefers, the first reading, "Culture and Mental Illness" (2007, pp. 167 - 168), presents as a supporting example the case of dissociative identity disorder, which has another popular name, and which might also be useful to people working on essay questions 8. or 9.
ReplyDeleteReference
Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 2 Reading and Writing (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
4-5 years ago I have had a cat in my house, just a Thai cat that my father found in the backyard but a day that passed me by made this cat became a part of our family and one day we noticed that she can express her feeling, her need,and her love such as when the meal not her type, she will act like the grumpy or when she loves someone she will snuggle and make the lovely sound.
ReplyDeleteCat always sing(or craw?) the voice like Meow that I think it is there language or signal, so that mean I believe in theory which told that other animal can express,show, and talk to us but the obstruction is their thinking system, their voicing function, and they cant study our language.
Anyway, I heard that some of scientist now developing the technology that enable us to understand and talk to our pet or another animals !!!!