What makes us HUMAN?

Some of today’s leading thinkers from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, including human origins, psychology, social philosophy, and religion, presented their views and researches on the many facets of humanity, on what makes us human. Asking what makes human beings unique brings to mind a seemingly endless list of attributes and activities, both negative and positive in nature.

          There are immense questions out there about the fundamental nature of human existence, and the motivation springs from thinking about how we differ from chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are the closest living relatives of humans and share nearly 99% of our DNA. Efforts to identify those regions of the human genome that have changed the most since chimps and humans diverged from a common ancestor have helped to pinpoint the DNA sequence that makes us human. The findings have also provided vital insights into how chimps and humans can differ so profoundly, despite having nearly identical DNA blueprints.

          Currently, molecular geneticists have taken their turn at defining a human being based on DNA sequence differences between humans and chimps. The arrangement, sequence, and expression levels of our DNA will provide valuable information on what makes a human unique from other creatures, including the skeletal features and behavioral differences. However, it will only tell us more about the vessels humans were created in, not what truly makes us human.

          Humans have been described as tool users, once thought to be a quality separating us from all other animals. The use of fire and burying the dead also serves as evidence of what makes us human. It could be argued but fire use and religion (in terms of funerals) do not fully explain what makes us human. Humans may be classified as animals and may share similar genes, but there are important fundamental differences.

          For me, self-awareness and free moral agency, speech and symbolic cognition, our nimble thumbs, the living conscience, and the capacity to imagine constitute the very essence of humanity. However, these are still just a few of the traits that distinguish us from other species.

What can you say about this concept? :DD