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This should come as no surprise to anyone.. I'm pretty sure they even still teach this in what passes for our "education" system.
If we consider this thoughtfully for a few minutes perhaps we can learn something about ourselves..
Are Humans Animals?
From Answers.com
Yes, humans are animals. The human's phylum is Chordata (vertebrate). The human's class is mammalia. It's order is primate (the same as apes). It's family is Hominidae (apes that have no tail and can gather food with their hands.) The Human's sub-family is Homininae. It's tribe is Hominini. It's genus is Homo and it's specie is scientifically named Homo Sapiens.
The following excerpts are from Wikipedia on Humans (See the link for a much deeper discussion) My own highlights of material I, personally, find interesting to ponder are denoted in this way [*section*]
Human evolution is characterized by a number of important changes—morphological, developmental, physiological, and behavioral—which have taken place since the split between the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees. The first major morphological change was the evolution of a bipedal locomotor adaptation from an arboreal or semi-arboreal one,[30] with all its attendant adaptations (a valgus knee, low intermembral index (long legs relative to the arms), reduced upper-body strength).
The human species developed a much larger brain than that of other primates – typically 1,400 cm³ in modern humans, over twice the size of that of a chimpanzee or gorilla. The pattern of human postnatal brain growth differs from that of other apes (heterochrony), and [*allows for extended periods of social learning and language acquisition in juvenile humans*]. Physical anthropologists argue that the differences between the structure of human brains and those of other apes are even more significant than their differences in size.
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The out of Africa migration is estimated to have occurred about 70,000 years BP. [*Modern humans subsequently spread to all continents*], replacing earlier hominids: they inhabited Eurasia and Oceania by 40,000 years BP, and the Americas at least 14,500 years BP.[35] A popular theory is that they displaced Homo neanderthalensis and other species descended from Homo erectus[36] (which had inhabited Eurasia as early as 2 million years ago) through more successful reproduction and [*competition for resources*].[37] The exact manner or extent of the coexistence and interaction of these species is unknown and continues to be a controversial subject.[citation needed]
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Transition to civilization
Until c. 10,000 years ago, [*most humans lived as hunter-gatherers*]. They generally [*lived in small nomadic groups*] known as band societies. The advent of agriculture prompted the [*Neolithic Revolution*], when access to food surplus led to the formation of permanent human settlements, the domestication of animals and the use of metal tools for the first time in history. [*Agriculture encouraged trade and cooperation, and led to complex society*]. Because of the significance of this date for human society, it is the epoch of the Holocene calendar or Human Era.
About 6,000 years ago,[Interesting link on man's 6,000 year rule] the first proto-states developed in Mesopotamia, Egypt's Nile Valley and the Indus Valleys. [*Military forces were formed for protection, and government bureaucracies for administration*]. States cooperated and [*competed for resources, in some cases waging wars*]. Around 2,000–3,000 years ago, some states, such as Persia, India, China, Rome, and Greece, developed through conquest into the first expansive empires. Influential religions, such as Judaism, originating in West Asia, and Hinduism, a religious tradition that originated in South Asia, also rose to prominence at this time.
[*The late Middle Ages saw the rise of revolutionary ideas and technologies*]. In China, an advanced and urbanized society promoted innovations and sciences, such as printing and seed drilling. In India, major advancements were made in mathematics, philosophy, religion and metallurgy. The Islamic Golden Age saw major scientific advancements in Muslim empires. In Europe, the rediscovery of classical learning and inventions such as the printing press led to the Renaissance in the 14th and 15th centuries. Over the next 500 years, exploration and colonialism brought great parts of the world under European control, leading to later struggles for independence. The Scientific Revolution in the 17th century and the Industrial Revolution in the 18th–19th centuries promoted major innovations in transport, such as the railway and automobile; energy development, such as coal and electricity; and government, such as representative democracy and Communism.
With the advent of the Information Age at the end of the 20th century, [*modern humans live in a world that has become increasingly globalized*] and interconnected. As of 2010, almost 2 billion humans are able to communicate with each other via the Internet,[40] and 3.3 billion by mobile phone subscriptions.[41]
Although interconnection between humans has encouraged the growth of science, art, discussion, and technology, it has also led to culture clashes and the development and use of weapons of mass destruction. Human civilization has led to environmental destruction and pollution, producing an ongoing mass extinction of other forms of life called the holocene extinction event,[42] that may be further accelerated by global warming in the future.[43]
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Habitat and population
Early [*human settlements were dependent on proximity to water and, depending on the lifestyle, other natural resources used for subsistence*], such as populations of animal prey for hunting and arable land for growing crops and grazing livestock. But humans have a great capacity for altering their habitats by means of technology; through irrigation, urban planning, construction, transport, manufacturing goods, deforestation and desertification. Deliberate habitat alteration is often done with the [*goals of increasing material wealth*], increasing thermal comfort, improving the amount of food available, improving aesthetics, or [*improving ease of access to resources*] or other human settlements. With the advent of large-scale trade and transport infrastructure, proximity to these resources has become unnecessary, and in many places, these factors are no longer a driving force behind the growth and decline of a population. Nonetheless, the manner in which a habitat is altered is often a major determinant in population change.
Technology has allowed humans to colonize all of the continents and adapt to virtually all climates. Within the last century, humans have explored Antarctica, the ocean depths, and outer space, although large-scale colonization of these environments is not yet feasible. With a population of over six billion, humans are among the most numerous of the large mammals. Most humans (61%) live in Asia. The remainder live in the Americas (14%), Africa (14%), Europe (11%), and Oceania (0.5%).
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Humans have had a dramatic effect on the environment. As humans are rarely preyed upon, they have been described as superpredators.
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Diet
Humans are omnivorous, capable of consuming a wide variety of plant and animal material.[84][85] Varying with available food sources in regions of habitation, and also varying with cultural and religious norms, human groups have adopted a range of diets, from purely vegetarian to primarily carnivorous.
Until the development of agriculture approximately 10,000 years ago, [*Homo sapiens employed a hunter-gatherer method as their sole means of food collection*]. This involved combining stationary food sources (such as fruits, grains, tubers, and mushrooms, insect larvae and aquatic molluscs) with wild game, which must be hunted and killed in order to be consumed.
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Consciousness and thought
Humans are one of only nine species known to pass the mirror test—which tests whether an animal recognizes its reflection as an image of itself—along with all the great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, bonobos), Bottlenose dolphins, Asian elephants, European Magpies, and Orcas.[98] Most human children will pass the mirror test at 18 months old.[99] However, the usefulness of this test as a true test of consciousness has been disputed, and this may be a matter of degree rather than a sharp divide. Monkeys have been trained to apply abstract rules in tasks.[100]
The human brain perceives the external world through the senses, and each individual human is influenced greatly by his or her experiences, leading to subjective views of existence and the passage of time. Humans are variously said to [*possess consciousness, self-awareness, and a mind*], which correspond roughly to the mental processes of thought. These are said to [*possess qualities such as self-awareness, sentience, sapience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and one's environment*].
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Motivation and emotion
[*Motivation is the driving force of desire behind all deliberate actions of humans*]. Motivation is based on emotion—specifically, on the search for satisfaction (positive emotional experiences), and the avoidance of conflict. [*Positive and negative is defined by the individual brain state*], which may be influenced by social norms: a person may be driven to self-injury or violence because his brain is conditioned to create a positive response to these actions. Motivation is important because it is involved in the performance of all learned responses. Within psychology, conflict avoidance and the libido are seen to be primary motivators. Within economics, motivation is often seen to be based on incentives; these may be financial, moral, or coercive. Religions generally posit divine or demonic influences.
Happiness, or the state of being happy, is a human emotional condition. The definition of happiness is a common philosophical topic. Some people might define it as the best condition that a human can have—[*a condition of mental and physical health*]. Others define it as [*freedom from want and distress*]; consciousness of the good order of things; assurance of one's place in the universe or society.
[*Emotion has a significant influence on, or can even be said to control, human behavior*], though historically many cultures and philosophers have for various reasons discouraged allowing this influence to go unchecked.
When humans function in civilized tandem, it has been noted that uninhibited acting on extreme emotion can lead to social disorder and crime.
Society and culture
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Humans are social beings. In comparisons with animalia, humans are regarded like the primates for their social qualities. But beyond any other creature, [*humans are adept at utilizing systems of communication for self-expression, the exchange of ideas, and organization*], and as such have created complex social structures composed of many cooperating and competing groups. Human groups range from families to nations. [*Social interactions between humans have established an extremely wide variety of values, social norms, and rituals, which together form the basis of human society*].
[*Culture is defined here as patterns of complex symbolic behavior*], i.e. all behavior that is not innate but which has to be learned through social interaction with others; such as the use of distinctive material and symbolic systems, including language, ritual, social organization, traditions, beliefs and technology.
Society, government, and politics
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Society is the system of organizations and institutions arising from interaction between humans. A state is an organized political community occupying a definite territory, having an organized government, and possessing internal and external sovereignty. Recognition of the state's claim to independence by other states, enabling it to enter into international agreements, is often important to the establishment of its statehood.
//Special note// [*The "state" can also be defined in terms of domestic conditions, specifically, as conceptualized by Max Weber, "a state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the 'legitimate' use of physical force within a given territory*]."
[*Government can be defined as the political means of creating and enforcing laws; typically via a bureaucratic hierarchy*]. Politics is the process by which decisions are made within groups; this process often involves conflict as well as compromise. Although the term is generally applied to behavior within governments, politics is also observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. Many different political systems exist, as do many different ways of understanding them, and many definitions overlap. Examples of governments include monarchy, Communist state, military dictatorship, theocracy, and liberal democracy, the last of which is considered dominant today. All of these issues have a direct relationship with economics.
Trade and economics
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Trade is the voluntary exchange of goods and services, and is a form of economics. A mechanism that allows trade is called a market. [*The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and services*].
Modern traders instead generally negotiate through a medium of exchange, such as money. As a result, buying can be separated from selling, or earning. The invention of money (and later credit, paper money and non-physical money) greatly simplified and promoted trade.
Economics is a social science which studies the production, distribution, trade, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on measurable variables, and is broadly divided into two main branches: microeconomics, which deals with individual agents, such as households and businesses, and macroeconomics, which considers the economy as a whole, in which case it considers aggregate supply and demand for money, capital and commodities. Aspects receiving particular attention in economics are resource allocation, production, distribution, trade, and competition. Economic logic is increasingly applied to any problem that involves choice under scarcity or determining economic value.
War
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War is a state of widespread conflict between states or other large groups of humans, which is [*characterized by the use of lethal violence between combatants and/or upon civilians*]. (Humans also engage in lesser conflicts, such as brawls, riots, revolts, and melees. A revolution may or may not involve warfare.) [*It is estimated that during the 20th century between 167 and 188 million humans died as a result of war*]. A common perception of war is a series of military campaigns between at least two opposing sides involving a dispute over sovereignty, territory, resources, religion, or other issues. A war between internal elements of a state is a civil war.
There have been a wide variety of rapidly advancing tactics throughout the history of war, ranging from conventional war to asymmetric warfare to total war and unconventional warfare. Techniques include hand to hand combat, the use of ranged weapons, Naval warfare, and, more recently, air support. Military intelligence has often played a key role in determining victory and defeat. [*Propaganda, which often includes information, slanted opinion and disinformation, plays a key role in maintaining unity within a warring group, and/or sowing discord among opponents*].
Note: The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki immediately killed over 120,000 humans.
Spirituality and religion
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Religion is generally defined as a belief system concerning the supernatural, sacred or divine, and practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such belief. Some religions also have a moral code. The evolution and the history of the first religions have recently become areas of active scientific investigation.[117][118][119] However, in the course of its development, religion has taken on many forms that vary by culture and individual perspective. Some of the chief questions and issues religions are concerned with include life after death (commonly involving belief in an afterlife), the origin of life, the nature of the universe (religious cosmology) and its ultimate fate (eschatology), and what is moral or immoral. A common source in religions for answers to these questions are beliefs in transcendent divine beings such as deities or a singular God, although not all religions are theistic—many are nontheistic or ambiguous on the topic, particularly among the Eastern religions. [*Spirituality, belief or involvement in matters of the soul or spirit, is one of the many different approaches humans take in trying to answer fundamental questions about humankind's place in the universe, the meaning of life, and the ideal way to live one's life*]. Though these topics have also been addressed by philosophy, and to some extent by science, spirituality is unique in that it focuses on mystical or supernatural concepts such as karma and God.
Although the exact level of religiosity can be hard to measure,[120] [*a majority of humans professes some variety of religious or spiritual belief*], although some are irreligious: that is lacking or rejecting belief in the supernatural or spiritual. Other humans have no religious beliefs and are atheists, scientific skeptics, agnostics or simply non-religious. [*Humanism is a philosophy which seeks to include all of humanity and all issues common to humans*]; it is usually non-religious.
Philosophy and self-reflection
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Philosophy is a discipline or field of study involving the investigation, analysis, and development of ideas at a general, abstract, or fundamental level. It is the [*discipline searching for a general understanding of reality, reasoning and values*]. Major fields of philosophy include logic, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and axiology (which includes ethics and aesthetics).
All animals, living creatures, possess the following
Self-preservation is behavior that ensures the survival of an organism. It is universal among living organisms. In some vertebrates, pain and fear are parts of this mechanism. Pain causes discomfort so that the organism is inclined to stop the pain. Fear causes the organism to seek safety and may cause a release of adrenaline, which has the effect of increased strength and heightened senses such as hearing, smell, and sight.
[*Self-preservation may also be interpreted figuratively; in regard to the coping mechanisms one needs to prevent emotional trauma from distorting the mind*].
Most all cultures, societies, religions of the world believe it will one day come to an end and/or a new beginning..
Eschatology
Or for a rather unique view from a self proclaimed current day prophet you can read 2008 - God's Final Witness
Besides Eschatology many other sources point to the end of the world or the end of one age and beginning of another as on this 2012 page
Thinking, rationalizing animals.. What a scary concept..
Greg
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