DB1: What Does it Mean to be Human?

Being human encapsulates a lot of different traits. These traits include narcissism, a having a sense of morality and a conscience, and understanding what life is. Likewise, humanity consist of human beings having a plethora of emotions and compassion. First, humans are often narcissitic, in fact we are almost born narcissitic. When having a conversation with a friend, she brings up how babies are born narcissitic, and only care about their needs, and will do what they do best to get what they need and gather all the attention. It isn’t until they get older they learn to understand right from wrong, and how to control their emotions, selflessness, but still that sense of narcisscism mremains in everyone.

Additionally, during a conversation in highschool, we brought up the question what sets humans aside from animals. We concluded that humans understand the concept of death, as they can reflect on it and learn to live life to its fullest, and just have relfective thoughts in general, whether about a conversation or past actions ; on the other hand, most if not all animals don’t have a refelctive thought and are just living to survive through instincts. This is also what it means to be human–being able to reflect on life.

My perspective compares to the reading by Nussbaum because the author emphasizes how humans focus on themselves, they are narcissist and care about domination over other creatures. Because humans are separate from animals, humans harm other species “that try to inhabit this world” as a form of domination. The reading identifies this as the problem of being human and involving a “culpable obtuseness,” stating that humans don’t realize their own unlearned, complete narcissism that causes them to exploit other species. Further, my perspective connects to the reading because a main lesson is that humans need to have morals, a conscience and reflect for animals and on the importance of other species lives instead of just their own.

DB2: What is Human Responsibility to the Planet?

The planet has given humans a place to live, so in return humans can at least show the planet respect by keeping it cleaning, maintaining, and not harming it, similar to how one would maintain their own house the best way possible. In addition, we get a lot of our resources and supplies from this earth. Giving oath to this planet also means respecting all beings. From microscopic creatures to plants to the brightest humans, every being has a role on this planet, a role that is essential to helping the enivironment. So, we should show respect to all animals, and humans especially to keep the peace as it is our role in society. Animals aslo help and maintain the ground that we plant many crops on that we eat, so its essential that we respect them. Vegetarian or not, animals provide us with something directly and indirectly, so respect the thing that is helping us. As intellectual beings, we should be helping the environment, limiting fossil fuels, green house gases, deforestation all leading to global warming which is harming many habitats, and could eventually harm us, and littering which can harm animals too, and instead plant more to help the world have cleaner air, and limit carbon dioxide. And with humans, we shoul try to maintain as much peace as possible, and not go against eachother because the person you’re rude to may be the person that you’ll need in the future. Additionally, activities ike smoking should be limited, because you don’t know who you may be harming around you.

This relates to the Greta Thunberg video because she talks about global warming and limiting amount of CO2 in the air, and the Ted talk talks about morally respecting animals, and not killing them because they would not make a choice to die, though he was speaking in regards to veganism. Essentially, humans need to think morally, and considered that the environment, us, and animals work together to create a better world which can help lessen sickness and prevent extinction of all beings because eventually our immoral actions will catch up to us. So, while respecting animals and the environment, humans will being doing themselves a favor in the long run too.