Ultimately, humans have one major trait that separates them far from the great apes, this difference--speech. The spoken language is an extremely unique trait of humans. It is said to be controlled by the FOXP2 gene. Although this gene is found in other animals such as mice, our gene has several mutations that make it special. It is also highly expressed in areas of our brains used for speech coordination. With the humans ability to speak also comes the ability to gossip and communicate with others of our kind. This allows us to be extremely social creatures as most of us are. Unlike humans, the great apes create special bonds within their communities by grooming. Although all the great apes do have distinctive voices that others recognize, they still don't have the spoken language as we do.
Despite our similarities we are very different creatures. With the ability to speak also comes the ability to rationalize. As Steven Pinker describes, we all have morals and as Bandura describes we have numerous ways to work around and rationalize our actions. Pinker describes how moralization "can be turned on and off like a switch." We find ways to rationalize situations based on our morals as well as our ability to speak and usually end up logically working them out. Unlike the great apes, we have the ability to determine what is right and wrong. Although we do use techniques such as exonerative comparison, euphemistic language, disregarding, disputing, and dehumanization to determine what is right and what is wrong we still have the ability to do so. Ultimately, this is the biggest difference between humans and the great apes. That is why when an ape attacks a human, it is a tragic event but if a human were to do this it would be worse because humans have the ability to know better. They have the ability to know what is right and what is wrong.
One thing we as humans could learn from the great apes, however, is their habit of traveling and staying in groups. Although this could create tension, and cause some competition, they have created community ties that keep them ultimately close. By living in groups the great apes have created a way to improve their chances of survival. If humans maybe stopped working so much as individuals and starting working in groups, we could increase our chances of survival as well.
- Impeding Ecological Sustainability Through Selective Moral Disengagement - Albert Bandura
- The Moral Instinct- Steven Pinker
- Developmental Biology (8th Edition)- Scott F. Gilbert
- Chimps, Humans 96 Percent The Same, Gene Study Finds - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0831_050831_chimp_genes.html
- Professor Hirsch Class Lecture November 16, 2009
I agree with your argument. I think it is important for people to realize this double standard. Apes attack and it is labeled as a tragic event, yet if a human was to do something like this- we would end up in an asylum claiming insanity. I think that humans have a tendency to cover up events that they are responsible in order to feel less guilt. Therefore, if something as serious as a human attacking an ape were to occur-people would be very surprised. The most we ever hear about severe cases are typically found on the news, and hid from us (yet another trait of human beings). Makes me wonder whether our actions are maintained by genetic makeup (based on your FOX gene representation). I think this may be true- there must be some wiring in us that leads us to our choices- whether we have outside influences or not.
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