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What separates humans from apes?


Alan McDougall

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What really separates us humans from our cousins the apes?

 

By Alan McDougall
 

Here are a few attributes I think we can bounce off with.


The smartest ape the chimp is smarter than the least intelligent human, there is an overlap of intellects is there not. ?

Humans, a strong spirit of inquiry or are apes also curious like humans.

Mankind has researched very advanced concepts, like astronomy, mathematics, medicine and physics, apes, of course, don’t do that.

However there are some empty head humans, just sit staring into space doing much less than a chimp using his stick to fish out termites.

Humans yearn for meaning in life. This is why they devote so much of their time to philosophy, theology, and ethics

Apes do not appear to have a concept of death.

Religious sentiments and practices of all humans can be traced back to their intense and endless quest for meaning.

Do Apes think about a higher being like God?

Humans are concerned about questions not only of origin but also of destiny we know one day we will die.

Do chimps know the will die one day?

Humans have a strong creative impulse. This is seen in their poetry, painting, dance, drama, and music.

Chimps, the other Apes also have are creative but on a basic level. Like searching for termites in an ant heap with a specially prepared sticks , the have fashioned on their own.

Humans sometimes reason, language, inquiry, wonder, longing, religion, morality, aesthetics, creativity, imagination, aspiration and humour

Humans love.

Do apes love, maybe?

Nevertheless, we are apes like it or not naked apes at that.

Take our clothes off, put us naked in a cage with a tiger and we become a helpless little puny weak animal.

One thing about ape evolution is that apes like the chimp have not evolved for millions of years and yet we humans have, why is that?

 Alan Grant McDougall 2013

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Read "The Naked Ape" by Desmond Morris.

Edit: That and your last statement simply isn't true.

Edited by Likely Guy
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2 hours ago, Alan McDougall said:

What really separates us humans from our cousins the apes?

 

By Alan McDougall
 

Here are a few attributes I think we can bounce off with.

We are separated like cousins are separated, different ancestors producing different lineages, but when we come down to it, we are but the fifth ape. 

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The smartest ape the chimp is smarter than the least intelligent human, there is an overlap of intellects is there not. ?

Humans, a strong spirit of inquiry or are apes also curious like humans.

Mankind has researched very advanced concepts, like astronomy, mathematics, medicine and physics, apes, of course, don’t do that.

However there are some empty head humans, just sit staring into space doing much less than a chimp using his stick to fish out termites.

We fill different niches.

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Humans yearn for meaning in life. This is why they devote so much of their time to philosophy, theology, and ethics

That we yearn for a meaning is true, it does not validate it though, it is a pointless question like "what is the meaning of a mountain" It is actually a silly question, a sensible question would be "what are the causal factor that bring this mountain to be" 

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Apes do not appear to have a concept of death.

 

Never seen a chimp mother carry a dead infant for days on a documentary?

LINK - Chimps Understand and Mourn Death, Research SuggestsJa

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Religious sentiments and practices of all humans can be traced back to their intense and endless quest for meaning.

Do Apes think about a higher being like God?

 

Jane Goodall thinks so, and I canot think of a better person to ask that question to. 

LINK - Jane Goodall.

In October of 1960, Jane witnessed chimpanzees making and using tools. To that point, tool-making had been considered one of the defining characteristics of humankind.

Just a few days later, Jane observed chimps hunting bush pigs, colobus monkeys and other small mammals for meat. These discoveries were monumental findings further solidifying humans' undeniable link to chimpanzees.

In 1964, Figan deliberately kidnapped Flint to get Flo and the rest of that group to follow him to another location. Theplanning and intelligence demonstrated in this instance was a first. In that same year, Mike ascended to the alpha male position by showing superior intelligence. Banging empty kerosene cans, creating a noisy charging display to intimidate larger males, he bluffed his way to the top.

In the year 1970, Jane witnessed chimps performing a spontaneous dance-like display by waterfalls. Jane believes that this parallels expressions of awe that led early humans to religion.

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Humans are concerned about questions not only of origin but also of destiny we know one day we will die.

Do chimps know the will die one day?

See above, it looks like that to me. 

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Humans have a strong creative impulse. This is seen in their poetry, painting, dance, drama, and music.

Chimps, the other Apes also have are creative but on a basic level. Like searching for termites in an ant heap with a specially prepared sticks , the have fashioned on their own.

Humans sometimes reason, language, inquiry, wonder, longing, religion, morality, aesthetics, creativity, imagination, aspiration and humour

A bigger brain has certain advantages. And .... disadvantages. 

Quote

Humans love.

Do apes love, maybe?

Nevertheless, we are apes like it or not naked apes at that.

Take our clothes off, put us naked in a cage with a tiger and we become a helpless little puny weak animal.

 

Well, speak for yourself there.........

Do they love? I think the abovementioned mourning indicates that is the case?

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One thing about ape evolution is that apes like the chimp have not evolved for millions of years and yet we humans have, why is that?

 Alan Grant McDougall 2013

Meat.

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