What makes humans unique

[Bonaventure]

Namely, three things: Memory, intellect, and will.

Unlike animals, we are not stuck and enslaved to our impulses. We can remember things, think about and understand things, and, most importantly, choose to do, or not to do, an action.

[Mithrandylan]

A dog can do all three of those things, just to a lesser degree.  When you say intellect, I think the key is highlighting the ability to reason.  We do not have to follow our impulses, as you say.  Where as a dog, on the otherhand-- can only follow his impulses. 

[Bonaventure]

A dog can do all three of those things, just to a lesser degree.  When you say intellect, I think the key is highlighting the ability to reason.  We do not have to follow our impulses, as you say.  Where as a dog, on the otherhand-- can only follow his impulses.

Thanks for the clarification. Reason.

[LouisIX]

According to Aristotle and Thomas, that which distinguishes man from beast is rationality.

[OCLittleFlower]

A dog can do all three of those things, just to a lesser degree.  When you say intellect, I think the key is highlighting the ability to reason.  We do not have to follow our impulses, as you say.  Where as a dog, on the otherhand-- can only follow his impulses.

A dog can fight his impulses to a degree.   That ability is the basis for the "leave it" command.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JFYEfNI9xY[/yt]

My dog can do this.  He is also trained not to take food out of his bowl without being told to "go for it."

Dogs can also reason, though not abstractly.  They can figure out how things work, open fridges because they've seen you do it, figure out how to open doors as long as it doesn't require a thumb, etc.  What they can't do is think abstractly.  For example, my dog seems to think that my husband's homecoming has to do with how dark it is.  So, when the days got darker as winter approached, he got very impatient -- staring out the window, etc.  Now he seems to have adjusted to the "new" timing -- though in truth, my husband has come home around 8pm the whole time.

[SouthpawLink]

I'd be very interested to hear what those knowledgable enough have to say about the intellectual capacities of dolphins and chimpanzees.

[LouisIX]

I'd be very interested to hear what those knowledgable enough have to say about the intellectual capacities of dolphins and chimpanzees.

I think that if Thomas were alive today he would respond that even the most intelligent animals lack what we call rationality.  They may have relatively high capacities to understand human language, use rudimentary tools, or solve basic problems, but they cannot employ logic or contemplation in the way that man can.

[Ben]

I'm interested in this too.

Carl Sagan and McLaughlin discuss this issue.

Part 1:
Part 2:

[voxxpopulisuxx]

Mankind knows he will die.
Mankind can imagine and create what he imagines. (being made in the image of God)