Humans as animals?

[Chris]

I didn't want to de-rail the thread we currently have going on the model and her jealous ex-boyfriend, which uses 'Animal' as its title as a description of the boyfriend for the horrible things he did to her. However, there's a subject here that I find very interesting and I'd like to hear people's views on it.

Those who commit awful crimes are often labelled 'animal' or 'sub-human'. But what does this mean? Are these terms used in the same way as you might question someone's parentage or accuse them of enjoying manual self-gratification - namely as an insult, or an expression of frustration or outrage, rather than as an accusation about the person concerned? Or do we believe that some people's activities demonstrate that there is something other, or lesser, about them, when compared to the human race as a whole?

Discuss.

[Russ]

My father always uses the word 'animal' to describe people who do evil things, he said it's because of the way we assume anything non-human is wild, dumb, without thought or moral.

[Maggy J]

If we don't compare them to animals what do we compare them to?

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

The interesting thing is most animals I know kill for survival. The nature of the kill might be savage but its a necessity to do.

I think comparing some of these killers to animals is insulting the animal kingdom.

some apes commit murder I believe

[Druchii]

Sub-human/Animal etc.

The terms above to me say that the person concerned is severely lacking what makes us "human". That being compassion a fully developed sense of feelings and common sense.

[D_Skids]

As I read somewhere apart from Ants, humans are the only 'creatures' who go to war with each other!
So calling people Animals is an insult to animals, I prefer to call those sort of people Scum!

[danielf]

Originally Posted by zing

some apes commit murder I believe

I was wondering about that. As far as I'm aware within-species fighting is mostly about establishing dominance, and is usually over once this has been established. It is very rare for this to lead to the death of one of the parties involved. It seems to me that you need to be human to display sub-human behaviour of the sort described earlier.

[Julian]

The kill is on the whole for a purpose in the animal kingdom.
The label of "animal" when referring to sadistic behaviour is quite curious. An exception is the behaviour of a domestic cat, which can be seen as sadistic in the way they treat say a bird or a mouse. They virtually play with it until it dies and then leave it uneaten. Of course non-domesticated cats would eat the prey, so you could say their behaviour is our fault.

[Jules]

I try not to use the term animal as it is a insult to animals, evil, without conscience just plain bad all work for me but I can also see why people use the animal terminology.

[joglynne]

I consciously try not to us the term animal as I feel it is wrong, and an insult, to link these atrocious acts with creatures that do not commit them in the first place.

As Jules has just said "evil, without conscience just plain bad " are terms that work for me but sometimes even these don't seem strong enough and I am just lost for words to describe them.

[downquark1]

To any biological definition humans are animals. "Animal" as an insult is probably as old as the human superiority complex and religious influence (such as doctrines of human divinity) has perpetuated it.

I find animal rights (and other forms of life) in relation to humans a very interesting and taxing question. One does not morn an insect or even higher mammals (except those individuals you hold dear), you can massacre plants and no one cares. The people who choose to identify themselves as "pro-life" usually mean "pro-human baby" which is a result of the same attitude that humans are the only "true life".

As for subhuman this can really be manipulated into anything you want. Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor has said that atheists are not fully human because they lack a spiritual dimension. I can very easily say that people who oppose science are subhuman since they lack curiosity which is a wide reaching human trait.

[rogerdraig]

hmm on the point of not using the word 'animal' i can understand the sentiment but most people would understand the use of the word is being used not as an insult to the animal kingdom but is aimed at the person and their in that persons eyes ineligibility to be classed as a human ( civilized ) being

(( also i don't like the American ( my opinion of where this started ) iea that a word must mean one thing and its use about one thing devalues it in other uses ) so if most understand the use of the word that's what it should be changing or trying to change it for personal beliefs or 'PC' ideas should be fought against that doesn't mean that i an insulting animals but that i am using language that the majority understand if common use changes then my use does to )

( yep i am down with it now :P )

as to what i mean if i used it or like some one here said 'scum' is that i believe they have through their actions lost the right to be considered like the vast majority of us

i don't believe they are a sub species

there are few occasions where i feel like that ( though practically any news paper or lately news reports tend to make me ready to use those words ( long story an apologies to any decent members of that job here ))

[SMG]

Originally Posted by D_Skids

As I read somewhere apart from Ants, humans are the only 'creatures' who go to war with each other!
So calling people Animals is an insult to animals, I prefer to call those sort of people Scum!

Thats not quite true m8. Animals do fight to the death, with each other. The current series of Meerkat Manor shows Meerkat groups fighting & killing rival Kat's, who wander onto their territory. They also deliberately set out to attack rival clans, kill & eat their pups, & steal their territory.

Normal human beings do not throw acid onto other people, nor do they commit certain crimes which are considered to be subhuman.

For my part, ignoring the dictionary terms, anyone who commits these horrendous crimes has no place in society. They cease to be members of the human race & have no rights to remain so. They should then be classed & treated as "Animals". Caged & watched.