A New Standard by which to Measure

'Humans are judged by the ideal performance, animals by their actual one.' (Midgely, in Tallis, 1991: p.163)
Raymond Tallis - 'The Explicit Animal'

The real problem, as neurologist and writer Ray Tallis suggests in his wonderful book The Explicit Animal, is that we still lack an adequate framework in which to explore what it is to be human. Like every other organism, humans are shaped by both nature and nurture. But unlike any other organism, we are also defined by our ability to transcend both, by our capacity to overcome the constraints imposed both by our genetic and our cultural heritage. It is not that human beings have floated free of the laws of causation. It is rather that humans are not simply the passive end result of a chain of causes, whether natural or environmental. We have developed the capacity to intervene actively in both nature and culture, to shape both to our will. We are biological beings, and under the purview of biological and physical laws. But we are also conscious beings with purpose and agency, traits the possession of which allow us to design ways of breaking - or at least easing - the constraints of biological and physical laws. To misquote Corialanus, to be human, it seems, is both to be such a gosling to obey instinct and to stand as if a man were author of himself. - http://www.kenanmalik.com/essays/human_nature_books.html\

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Education

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• morals
• morality
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• Tallis
• Mary
• Midgely
• explicit
• animal
• nature
• nurture
• what
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• whisperer
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[2bsirius]

The Mary Midgley quote was spot on.

Animals & their welfare are important...But we are the only species who are capable of self-reflective change. Animals change if they are addressed at the level of instinct. We can do more than that...We can think about the fact that we think. We can reflect on the implications of our actions and their effects on the world. We may not be able to change quickly enough. We may be so apathetic we decide not to change, but we see the subjunctive future and act.

[conferencereport]

@2bsirius

I agree. The challenge seems to be to find a way to capture collective action which at least equals the best intelligence of individuals. Right now even the most sophisticated democracy seems pretty stupid,

[kensho123456]

conferencereport Let's just say its one of the more attractive and appealing aspects of the national characteristic we possess....don't you realise that YOU TOO as Scottish? You belong to ECOSSE - (English Covertly Occupied Southern Scotland Extended)

[conferencereport]

@kensho123456

Well, most of my grandparents were from north of the border, so I guess you have a point there. Re: 'Dr' - I'm offended you never mention my art 'O' level. Insensitive Scottish b'stard.

:)

[kensho123456]

conferencereport You silly boy Frederick - see my website which talks about my Hearing Dog. Oh dear, oh dear oh dear, you are a very silly boy Dr Fred. - 2/10

[conferencereport]

What is it about you Scottish blokes insisting on calling me 'Dr Fred'?

[angryislander56]

@Elaina43

No I DoNotInmendham LOL. (sorry) Smart maybe but no where NEAR as smart as he thinks he is. I do not think these two have a warm and fuzzy thing. We are doing that rude thing he refers to another recent vid. Talking about him while he is in the room:) I feel like a kid whispering in the back of a car. Although *these days* they would text rather than whisper. lol

[Elaina43]

@angryislander56 cont. I watched part of the vid he is responding to - I can't get into immendham under any name - he just seems to hate everything and everybody... I know he's a smart guy and all and if you two are watching his vids there must be more to him than spite... I just don't see it...

[Elaina43]

@angryislander56 Hi! I would never have found this awesome 'tuber if not for you... thanks (again) woman!!! re: lurking - I feel strangely compelled to make comments - even inane ones just to participate in the comment thread, I might have to rethink that practice. Re: "Gary" (I can't think of him as his familiar)

[h0tsex0r]

@conference

Your last line stuck with me: "You don't see the rats trying to make the world a better place."

Your statement strikes me as so very anthropocentric; as we humans "make the world a better place" (for ourselves) we are perhaps making it worse for rats or any number of other living things. When people say "make the world a better place" they mean "make the world more hospitable for human well-being." I agree this is a nice goal, but it really shows the selfish relativism of "good".

[angryislander56]

@Elaina43

Fancy meeting you here. Mostly I just lurk:)

I like it when he pwns gary

[Professoranton]

This is such a great video!. Thank you

[U5312N4M34Y0UTU133]

This video is sticking, unlike 99.9% of other uploads by Fred.

All others don't stick like this one.

[Ramiiam]

I'm a dog owner like you. Once we've mastered the pack leader role, the rest of dog training comes down to communicating our expectations to the animal and then holding the animal to those. Misbehavior will lead to a "Could do better!" correction.