What does being human mean? A brief philosophical look into what’s behind driving humans to dehumanize others

Medically, being human means possessing the complex biological and genetic makeup of the species Homo sapiens, characterized by a highly developed brain and a unique, complex genome. It's a broad, subjective description, expanded upon by philosophers to include unique capacities such as reason, consciousness, and creativity.

These qualities led to the development of language, culture, and complex societies. Yet many non-human species have these same philosophical qualities of humans- Dolphins and Orcas may be the best example of this.

What Does It Mean To Be Human?

Being human, according to philosophy, also involves the capacity for abstract thought, morality, the pursuit of meaning, and the development of a unique personal perspective and values, which, some philosophers argue, distinguishes humans from other life forms. Again, Orcas are recognized as the apex beings in the oceans, and scientists have observed astonishing similarities between Orcas and humans.

Not least among the Orcas' traits is their aversion to killing humans, despite their common name, the Killer Whale. Except for Orcas held in captivity or otherwise abused individuals, who have killed their land counterpart, Orca attacks on humans are exceptionally rare. The reported incidents are where, like humans who are unfairly treated, Orcas will lash out at their abusers.

Unlike humans, these are specific, targeted attacks, possibly payback, or simply a desire to end the abuse by ending the abuser. Humans, on the other hand, can be vicious and kill, maim, or hurt for far less justifiable reasons, and there are always sharks circling in toxic workplaces.

In 1490, artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci added further insight on being human by drawing the Vitruvian Man, a naked man in two overlapping standing positions, drawn with perfect proportions using what some argue is the golden ratio, pointing to the inscribed circle and square as the artist's perspective.

The drawing of the man with perfect looks, in the eye of the artist and others, was inspired by the Roman architect Vitruvius, who authored De architectura (On Architecture), later called the Ten Books on Architecture, which includes notes on body proportions, based on figures of a man in a circle and a square, as Da Vinci drew.

The architect explains that "In a temple, there ought to be harmony in the symmetrical relations of the different parts to the whole," suggesting that humans are comparable to the most revered, holiest buildings —the temple, which is high praise indeed from an architect.

The artist and scientist, Da Vinci, described humans as a "microcosm," a lesser world or miniature reflection of the larger universe, and emphasized man’s perfect proportions in his drawing of the Vitruvian Man, including not only perfect proportions and the relationship between the various tissues and organs, but the connection of the human anatomy to universal principles, likening, for example the skeleton’s role vis-à-vis the lungs as compared with the rocks and the ocean's tides.

Da Vinci’s representation of the ideal human form also reflected the humanist belief in human dignity and the central place of humankind within the divine order.

But meaning is in the eye of the truth-seeker, and BBC Earth reflects that:

“To be human is to be at the centre of our own universe, to experience life in all its colours and all its potential.”

From the most practical through to the deeply philosophical, what is apparent is that there isn't a consensus on what it means to be human, but rather a collection of theories that include:

• The biological and genetic makeup of the species Homo sapiens, which sets us apart from other species

• The capacity for abstract thought, morality, the pursuit of meaning, and the development of a unique personal perspective and values

• The perfect proportions of the Vitruvian Man- possibly adapted to gender, age, and health status

• A species that enjoys human dignity and is central to the divine order.

So, aside from the homo sapiens gene, we're pretty much like Orcas, who also have a less admirable trait too: Recent research (on which scientists are divided) suggests that the Orca kills their arch enemies, the Great While Sharks, by removing their liver with surgical precision and leaving their cousins to die a painful death- metaphorically, much like some humans do. Perhaps the shared single cell ancestor had a penchant for cruelty that is appearing in whales, as it frequently does in humans.

Humans are all connected- we share a common ancestor evolved from the first single cell. We are a much researched, probed, and debated being, but our connected origins make us all cousins (and further distanced cousins from Orcas and all life on Earth). Anthropologists and other professionals have produced credible evidence that humans evolved as they spread across the globe, possibly to escape their family or neighbors, and went on to maraud and plunder, engaging in increasingly brutal wars with the cousins they found along the way.

People, it seems, like to group together and like to fight each other over resources, values, or other issues. Despite 300 million or so years of evolution, we are still trying to separate ourselves from others, just like the one Darwinian single cell that split to form two, then multiplied to become 20 quadrillion ants, 8 billion humans, and countless other species, all still fighting for their place. It doesn't sound like we evolved much.

One Small Problem With AI In A Human World That Contributes to Suffering

The Orcas and other water-bound creatures developed an ocean-wide web of communication long before humans thought of the World Wide Web. Using communication tools on wavelengths that science hasn't fully explored, these apex predators of the sea broadcast their messages far and wide.

No one group of amphibian technocrats determines the Orca's watery internet's trajectory or message. I've yet to hear of any whale-fluencers undergoing cosmetic surgery, although they may well be promoting products. Still, I suspect it's limited to where food or danger may be found, or messaging their world in search of company (Perhaps, "Whhhooo's uuuup forrr aaa greeeeeat whhhhite livvvver huuuunt?" ), but their followers pay no known revenue. They stick to, you know, useful survival stuff, not a giant money laundering operation.

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and other pioneers brought that communication system to those of us who live on land, and who can't be heard across entire oceans with simple clicks, whistles, or long "weɪls". But with the internet came artificial intelligence, the blessing and curse of AI.

One of the more significant problems with AI is its creator's drive to put humans in boxes - possibly the ones that go in the ground if science fiction writers are accurate, but, more overtly, by creating a uniform set of rules that defines what it means to be human, according to the particular AI creator's own perspective.

While this may be similar to the concept of Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, the artist did at least make allowances for "abstract thought, morality, the pursuit of meaning, and the development of a unique personal perspective and values."

The latter- values, are subjective in human beings, and rightly so. The problem is that AI values are increasingly being imposed on humans who hold divergent values, based on their perception of human dignity. AI with human values is a contradiction in terms. Any LLM or other AI has been taught the values of its creator, whose view may or may not conform with those of other humans.

Given AI's massive online presence, its artificial views can and do spread lighting-fast, or AI can and does disseminate human propaganda in bucket loads. The cousins still don't agree on the basics of human values and interaction, but there is now a vast platform on which to impose one's values on others.

One of the problems that arises from AI-driven thought control is the influence of others on the lives of others, particularly those who choose to live by a different code of values.

The World Wide Web was designed as an open platform, based on open architecture and standards, to facilitate the free exchange of information and prevent any single entity from controlling it.

Yet here we are, with AI and an elite group of technocrats tailoring their drones' "values" and goals to deliver content that sets the bars on human behaviour, giving a voice to the trolls who seek to wreak destruction through the chaos of their warped set of values that is far removed from what many believe to be the defining morality, values, and meaning of what it means to be human.

Even justice has been perverted to serve the creators and the blaring mouthpieces. At the same time, Propaganda Wreaks Havoc In Families, tearing away at the fabric of society through the family system that was once the learning ground for people who would go on to create a better world, based on the lessons and values they adopted from a long line of human ancestors.

Where is the purported being the centre of our own universe, experiencing life in all its colours and all its potential?

What Is The Point Of Being Human?

The traditional Japanese concept of wabi-sabi draws from Buddhist philosophy, combining the three marks of existence:

• Sanbōin: Including impermanence

• Mujō: suffering

• Ku: emptiness or absence of self-nature

The words wabi and sabi both convey feelings of desolation and solitude, both considered positive traits in Mahayana Buddhism. The words represent release from the material world and the possibility of transcendence to a simpler life. It’s a similar concept to “Awakening” or “Enlightenment” In other spiritualities.

Wabi sabi is the path to the next level- when we are no longer in this realm, much like Astrology guides. Being human is simply the opportunity to guide our souls to their destination.

Socrates said, "Life without experience and sufferings is not life"

Suffering is the cornerstone for progress, and is central to several philosophies. And often that suffering arises from human-to-human contact and conflict.

Society is more divided than it ever was - first it was divided into two, then came divisions into species. Inter-human species clashes led to relocations across the planet, and only recently, DEI awareness seemed to hold promise for bringing us back to living harmoniously with each other, united as one with a common goal of making the Earth a better place to live for every being on its tilting axis.

But, as AI increasingly becomes the standard, the long-practiced art of dehumanization of the human species prevails, and evolves faster than homo sapiens. Uniformity, conformity to a mysterious set of values and norms that has seen the rich get richer and the poor's existences hammered into misery, while a middle class looks past and focuses on the all important Me that has risen to the highest priority over the last few generations.

For the record, my article is written by a human being, not an AI. It presents a human perspective, as seen through a human's eyes. But human beings are fallible. And we have that thing called opinions. That, too, could be what sets us apart.

Jonah may have been onto something when he briefly left the human race to live in a whale. But perhaps if we embrace suffering as a necessary element of out existence, we can find ways to live in peace with each other. And the whales.

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