University has educated me on some interesting things about the human
species. Collage taught me that I should not be
racist, ethnocentric or sexist among other equally evil things (I use
the term "evil" here in the most culturally relative sense). The final
and most important thing I learned was that I should avoid being
anthropocentric. This long word means more or less; to think ones self
superior to other animals. I learned in biology class that I am nothing
but a highly evolved animal. I must of
course strike the word "highly" from the previous statement for obvious
reasons. I friend once remonstrated me for being anthropocentric when I
declared a certain resentment toward the idea that I was evolved from an
ape. He accused me of thinking myself better than other animals. I in
turn accused him of eating chicken.
Things really came to a head
during a speech I attended on the topic of climate change. I was in
total agreement with the speaker when it came to the fact that human
behavior can have negative effects on the environment. I was, however,
shocked at the concluding remarks. The speaker wondered how humans could
think them selves better than other animals while destroying the planet.
It was the next statement that really got me because the lecturer
explained that humans were nothing less than parasites. I was puzzled
and outraged how the speaker could insult parasites that way. Saying
that humans were like parasites was somehow implying that parasites were
"bad". Parasites can't be bad. Its anthropocentric to think that parasitic behavior is somehow sub-par, that's demeaning to
parasites. I tried to express my outrage to some of the people around
me at the lecture but they didn't seem to care.
In doing some research for this piece I tried to find if there was a term for when you think you are better than a plant. I didn't find one. However, I did find other people on the internet calling humans parasites. Come on human-animal-people why do you think humans should aspire to be better than parasites? What is wrong with parasites?
Undoubtedly an outrage! Why! just the other day I was conversing with my protozoic friend Steve, and he brought this same issue up. He explained how demeaning it was to them, making it difficult to go about daily activities. "All I want is to infect living things without others thinking I have no reason or feelings. Is that too much to ask?" For some it is, Steve. For some it is.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think it is impossible to not be anthropocentric. Sure we can consider a more eco-centric perspective but even the thinking behind preserving wilderness can be viewed as 'unnatural' and most certainly anthropocentric. It seems arrogant and misled to believe that we can think like another creature. Parasites simply evolve to survive. They adapt to use other living things to benefit themselves, survive, and reproduce. ALL CREATURES DO THIS. That's what life is really. Humans have the ability to judge right and wrong and think about the consequences of an action beyond the personal or even community scale. Can a parasite choose to live less extravagantly so that it's host may live? I can't say for sure but I don't think so. We can, so let's do it!
ReplyDeleteRegardless of whether one animal is or isn't better than another the truth is that pretty much everybody behaves as if they were. However, humans are the only creatures who talk about it. Regardless actions speak with an elevated tone of voice.
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