EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Introduction: What Makes Us Human?

You come home after a long, tiring day. It's a Friday, meaning you have the weekend to relax and wind down and this makes you happy. You get changed into some casual, comfy clothes and plan to order in some pizza. You collapse into a comfy armchair, your favourite one, with your phone in one hand and the remote in the other. You switch on the TV, just in time for the latest headlines. BREAKING NEWS the screen screams at you. You sigh inwardly, imagining all those poor souls in Aleppo and brace yourselves to hear the latest destruction as you pay closer attention. 'Scientists have made a breakthrough', the newsreader says excitedly. 'A research unit in Amsterdam has found that human superiority lies in our limbic system - or the brain's reward system - and points to our main dominating feature as a species being something quite unexpected. It seems that what makes us inherently human is not only an often daily thought process, but also entirely comprehensible. Extensive research shows we are human due to our intense affiliation towards taking selfies.'

You are stunned. In a daze, you pick up your phone and go on social media, where everyone is already talking about this. After some time, you find yourself on instagram, scrolling through your posts. It is with mild horror that you realize you post mainly selfies. And then it is with even greater horror complete with an intense nausea that you realize that Kim Kardashian must be the most superior being on the planet.

***

Humanity often regards itself as superior to all other forms of existence on the planet. Qualities associated with this position have riddled the minds of scientists and philosophers for centuries and continues to do so today {Selfies are not the answer, I'm sorry}.

There is no doubt about it that we are biologically unique to other animals. Yes, we do share 96% of our DNA with chimps, but that 4% makes a remarkable difference - although both species have the advantageous characteristic of opposable thumbs, paleontologists have observed that humans have a smaller, V-shaped mandible {jawbone} whilst chimps have a more U-shaped one. We also have a more bowel-shaped pelvis, to provide support to our abdominal organs which are more often than not held upright. Molecular geneticists are constantly working on defining humanity based on our DNA structure.

Random Fun Fact: We share 50% of our DNA with a banana.

But it is skeletal and genetic structures that solely define us? There are people who will have more rounded mandibles or share 51% of their DNA with a banana and does that make them less human? It is not just biology that holds the answer then.

Anthropologists have turned to cultural references to pinpoint our humanity. Time and time again, our position as 'tool users' has credited us with superiority, both in prehistoric times and now - however, there have been many occasions of monkeys being observed in the wild, using stones to crack open nuts and so on. I reckon that counts as adequate usage of tools. Other culturally specific things that have been highlighted as specifically human include our use of fire and burying the dead. 'Funeral behaviours' have also been observed in chimps, magpies and elephants. Although if superiority was measured by collections of gravestones, nothing could really match our status.

We certainly have interesting psychological traits considering our ability to feel and cause emotions and channel them into all different kinds of behaviours. We sympathise, empathise and believe this to be enough to glorify our existence. But consider the paradox: Perhaps then, it is our bizarre psychology that can explain us - but try as we might, we cannot explain it.

What do you think makes us human? I'd love to read your comments and suggestions.
According to Robert Heinlein: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, co-operate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, programme a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialisation is for insects."

Well. I guess we've all got a lot to do. I'll leave you to it then. Thanks for reading.

LTAC.

                 - thefineideayoucrave