Jane Goodall's Anthropological View Of What Makes Us Human?
WHAT MAKES US HUMAN This is a question that is asked and wondered by almost every human in this world. The answers to this popular question are actually pretty obvious. Humans have the ability to walk upright, communicate in oral and written forms, think and solve problems, and they have evolved physically and cognitively. Our intelligence to create tools and technology is another unique trait that separates us from other species, also our capability to adapt and change to different types of climate so that we can survive. The fact on how we look and act that differentiates us from other species gives a clear observation on what makes us human externally. Internally we have our brains and body type that show we are human, even though
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gorillas, apes and chimpanzees might have those similar features us humans for example have smaller jaws, larger brains and we our bi-pedal. There are many different things that make us human but relating to this course there are three distinctive views on what makes us humans and they are the anthropologic, psychological and sociologic ways.
Anthropology looks at the way we live, our cultures and our origins. Psychology observes our human behaviour as well as the human mind; sociology contemplates the human social life, groups and societies. In an anthropological view I think human evolution is what makes us human. There were many different anthropologists that used human evolution to explain what makes us human and there were a couple who we viewed their video talks. Jane Goodall is one leading anthropologist who has worked and lived with chimpanzees for a long time. In her video talk she says that chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans also learn human sign language just like us humans can. Those types of species also use tools like we humans do since their body features are like us. Jane explains that chimpanzees have personalities like humans so for example show emotions and intelligence. She also finds that those types of animals do many things that we humans do in our everyday lives. Baby chimps are very close to baby humans, they are raised like a baby human with a mother and act like an modern human infant. Svante Paabo …show more content…
the next anthropologist from the Ancient Talks says we originated from Africa and our relatives colonized the rest of the world. The early humans mated with the Neanderthals after we moved out from Africa, Paabo quoted these two things in his video “Neanderthals are not totally extinct, in some of us they live on a little bit” and “from a genomic perspective, were all Africans”. These two quotes is his own way of looking at how evolution makes us humans and where we first originated from. He claims that many of us have some kind of Neanderthal DNA. The third anthropologist Zereseney Alemseged explains that 90% of our evolution comes from Africa and there is where you find early evidence of our human ancestor’s lives. He says chimpanzees and humans share around 90% of genetic information and we both have similar types of behaviour. Louise Leaky who is another leading anthropologist claims that we belong to a family called Homnindae. She says we are all Homo sapiens sapiens, share origins with our great apes, are the only upright ape existing today and have evolved with common ancestors such as the gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos. From her talk she speaks about bonobos sharing 99% of their jeans with us humans and that we evolved from Africa and have somewhat of an African origin. In a psychological view I think the cognitive process and our ability to think as humans is what makes us human.
The human brain is made up of three parts which are the hindbrain, midbrain and the forebrain. The hindbrain controls our basic functions such as eating, breathing and sleeping. The midbrain integrates sensory information and gives information to the forebrain. It also regulates visual reflexes and co-ordinates the movements of the eye with those of the head and neck. The forebrain is the largest part of the brain and all higher levels of thinking are processed through this part. This is the part of the brain that differentiates us humans from other species. The cerebral cortex which is the outer layer of the forebrain gives us the ability to think and learn, store complex and abstract information, control of human senses, thoughts, language and memory, and it is the place that our conscious comes into play. The human brain is further divided into two hemispheres that make up the cerebrum. The left-hand side controls language and verbal skills, mathematical ability and analytical skills. The right-hand side controls non-verbal skills such as musical, spatial problems and processing information. This side also makes up our creativity and intuition as humans. It is human thinking and reasoning that makes us such a unique species especially with the cognitive process. When humans begin this process, they try to rearrange information in new forms that will allow
them to answer a question or solve a problem. For example you are taught a new concept in math and are given examples from the teacher with explanations. The teacher then gives you questions to answer and apply what you have learned. It is now expected to review the content from your notes and work to use the same way to solve new problems or write tests. The basic tools have been provided for you now you must use your understanding and comprehension skills to apply it to new problems. Our learning process is what also makes us different from other species. There are four things that help us to learn and use all kinds of ideas and they are attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. Attention is to learn through observation and view the behaviours of others. Retention is to store a mental representation of what you observe in your memory. Reproduction is to convert your stored memory into action. Motivation is to be pushed or motivated in order to practice the skill. Another aspect of the human mind is the conscience and unconscious part of it. The ego is our conscience part, the unconscious is our superego and the id controls our pleasure. These aspects of our human brains makes us human in the way that we are able to know what is right and wrong in life when making decisions or thinking about something. In a sociological view I think culture is what makes us human. For example as a part of our culture in Canada we listen to the national anthem every day in the morning at school as a sign of respect and patriotism to our country. It is also played at any sports game or Canadian event to represent where we come from. The anthem is a symbol that is a part of our culture and is what makes us different from animals. Symbols are very important parts of the human culture and people can become emotionally attached to them and are cautious if there are changes or any modifications. Another example of Canadian culture is our love for winter sports, especially hockey. Canada is recognized by the world as a hockey nation and we pride ourselves with our hockey legends. Animals do not have any relation with symbols or values like we humans do, even though they demonstrate some aspects of culture it is not as sophisticated as those in our human family. Culture is a characteristic that will always define humanity and is an area of human development. Culture consists of elements that are unique to humans. This includes beliefs that are shared ideas that explain past history, present events or future predictions. Values are a significant aspect of culture since they are standards of what is considered right and wrong. Religion for example has a strong influence in the development of values. Norms help values in the way that they are rules made by society to show what people can or cannot do. Culture is the key to human interaction and evolution. In conclusion I think there are many different things that make us human. Looking at this popular question there are three different specific views you could follow or believe. Anthropology which is the study of where we came from and live; I think explains that human evolution is what makes us human. The leading anthropologists Jane Goodall, Svante Paabo, Zereseney Alemseged and Louise Leakey all have different but similar in a way talks that describe our evolution and what makes us human. They all state facts and information that explain the many questions we humans ask daily. Yes I do agree with the theories of the anthropologists and their knowledge because they show physical evidence to back up their explanations. We had to have evolved or came from somewhere so I agree with their research, experience and information about evolution since it is practical and contains lots of support/evidence. They basically explain how we are evolved from the great apes, originate from Africa and are referred to as Homo sapiens sapiens, but have very similar characteristics and features as chimpanzees, gorillas or bonobos. I do believe we can balance theories of evolution with our own Catholic values and a belief as long as we start off with the fact that God created everything in the beginning and was the original source of life. From that point we then can come to make assumptions and theories on why, when, what, who, where and how things came to be today. Even though have a faith and belief in a creator if this world we sometimes need physical evidence or proof to explain our thoughts and ideas. Psychology in my opinion makes us human with our ability to think and use our human minds. The cognitive process gives us the power to remember, reason, think and solve problems and it separates us from animals. Also the parts of our brain like the hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain is what makes our brain so much more unique then other species. The way we learn and process all kinds of information is another aspect of what makes us human; our conscience and unconscious part of our brain is what gives us the decision to choose between right and wrong. Lastly sociology, I think makes us human with the aspect of culture. Symbols, values and norms are all a big part of our human development and interactions with others. Culture is a very distinctive characteristic that humans have and it forms how we react or do things in a specific way. All three of the social sciences have a very important and significant factor on what makes us human in my opinion. They all explain in their own way how we humans differentiate from other species and we are all still changing slowly which means human evolution is continuously in the making.
WHAT MAKES US HUMAN
By: Francis Azouri
To: Ms. Meffe
Due Date: Monday, March 4th, 2013
Course Code: HSP3M1
gorillas, apes and chimpanzees might have those similar features us humans for example have smaller jaws, larger brains and we our bi-pedal. There are many different things that make us human but relating to this course there are three distinctive views on what makes us humans and they are the anthropologic, psychological and sociologic ways.
Anthropology looks at the way we live, our cultures and our origins. Psychology observes our human behaviour as well as the human mind; sociology contemplates the human social life, groups and societies. In an anthropological view I think human evolution is what makes us human. There were many different anthropologists that used human evolution to explain what makes us human and there were a couple who we viewed their video talks. Jane Goodall is one leading anthropologist who has worked and lived with chimpanzees for a long time. In her video talk she says that chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans also learn human sign language just like us humans can. Those types of species also use tools like we humans do since their body features are like us. Jane explains that chimpanzees have personalities like humans so for example show emotions and intelligence. She also finds that those types of animals do many things that we humans do in our everyday lives. Baby chimps are very close to baby humans, they are raised like a baby human with a mother and act like an modern human infant. Svante Paabo …show more content…
the next anthropologist from the Ancient Talks says we originated from Africa and our relatives colonized the rest of the world. The early humans mated with the Neanderthals after we moved out from Africa, Paabo quoted these two things in his video “Neanderthals are not totally extinct, in some of us they live on a little bit” and “from a genomic perspective, were all Africans”. These two quotes is his own way of looking at how evolution makes us humans and where we first originated from. He claims that many of us have some kind of Neanderthal DNA. The third anthropologist Zereseney Alemseged explains that 90% of our evolution comes from Africa and there is where you find early evidence of our human ancestor’s lives. He says chimpanzees and humans share around 90% of genetic information and we both have similar types of behaviour. Louise Leaky who is another leading anthropologist claims that we belong to a family called Homnindae. She says we are all Homo sapiens sapiens, share origins with our great apes, are the only upright ape existing today and have evolved with common ancestors such as the gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos. From her talk she speaks about bonobos sharing 99% of their jeans with us humans and that we evolved from Africa and have somewhat of an African origin. In a psychological view I think the cognitive process and our ability to think as humans is what makes us human.
The human brain is made up of three parts which are the hindbrain, midbrain and the forebrain. The hindbrain controls our basic functions such as eating, breathing and sleeping. The midbrain integrates sensory information and gives information to the forebrain. It also regulates visual reflexes and co-ordinates the movements of the eye with those of the head and neck. The forebrain is the largest part of the brain and all higher levels of thinking are processed through this part. This is the part of the brain that differentiates us humans from other species. The cerebral cortex which is the outer layer of the forebrain gives us the ability to think and learn, store complex and abstract information, control of human senses, thoughts, language and memory, and it is the place that our conscious comes into play. The human brain is further divided into two hemispheres that make up the cerebrum. The left-hand side controls language and verbal skills, mathematical ability and analytical skills. The right-hand side controls non-verbal skills such as musical, spatial problems and processing information. This side also makes up our creativity and intuition as humans. It is human thinking and reasoning that makes us such a unique species especially with the cognitive process. When humans begin this process, they try to rearrange information in new forms that will allow
them to answer a question or solve a problem. For example you are taught a new concept in math and are given examples from the teacher with explanations. The teacher then gives you questions to answer and apply what you have learned. It is now expected to review the content from your notes and work to use the same way to solve new problems or write tests. The basic tools have been provided for you now you must use your understanding and comprehension skills to apply it to new problems. Our learning process is what also makes us different from other species. There are four things that help us to learn and use all kinds of ideas and they are attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. Attention is to learn through observation and view the behaviours of others. Retention is to store a mental representation of what you observe in your memory. Reproduction is to convert your stored memory into action. Motivation is to be pushed or motivated in order to practice the skill. Another aspect of the human mind is the conscience and unconscious part of it. The ego is our conscience part, the unconscious is our superego and the id controls our pleasure. These aspects of our human brains makes us human in the way that we are able to know what is right and wrong in life when making decisions or thinking about something. In a sociological view I think culture is what makes us human. For example as a part of our culture in Canada we listen to the national anthem every day in the morning at school as a sign of respect and patriotism to our country. It is also played at any sports game or Canadian event to represent where we come from. The anthem is a symbol that is a part of our culture and is what makes us different from animals. Symbols are very important parts of the human culture and people can become emotionally attached to them and are cautious if there are changes or any modifications. Another example of Canadian culture is our love for winter sports, especially hockey. Canada is recognized by the world as a hockey nation and we pride ourselves with our hockey legends. Animals do not have any relation with symbols or values like we humans do, even though they demonstrate some aspects of culture it is not as sophisticated as those in our human family. Culture is a characteristic that will always define humanity and is an area of human development. Culture consists of elements that are unique to humans. This includes beliefs that are shared ideas that explain past history, present events or future predictions. Values are a significant aspect of culture since they are standards of what is considered right and wrong. Religion for example has a strong influence in the development of values. Norms help values in the way that they are rules made by society to show what people can or cannot do. Culture is the key to human interaction and evolution. In conclusion I think there are many different things that make us human. Looking at this popular question there are three different specific views you could follow or believe. Anthropology which is the study of where we came from and live; I think explains that human evolution is what makes us human. The leading anthropologists Jane Goodall, Svante Paabo, Zereseney Alemseged and Louise Leakey all have different but similar in a way talks that describe our evolution and what makes us human. They all state facts and information that explain the many questions we humans ask daily. Yes I do agree with the theories of the anthropologists and their knowledge because they show physical evidence to back up their explanations. We had to have evolved or came from somewhere so I agree with their research, experience and information about evolution since it is practical and contains lots of support/evidence. They basically explain how we are evolved from the great apes, originate from Africa and are referred to as Homo sapiens sapiens, but have very similar characteristics and features as chimpanzees, gorillas or bonobos. I do believe we can balance theories of evolution with our own Catholic values and a belief as long as we start off with the fact that God created everything in the beginning and was the original source of life. From that point we then can come to make assumptions and theories on why, when, what, who, where and how things came to be today. Even though have a faith and belief in a creator if this world we sometimes need physical evidence or proof to explain our thoughts and ideas. Psychology in my opinion makes us human with our ability to think and use our human minds. The cognitive process gives us the power to remember, reason, think and solve problems and it separates us from animals. Also the parts of our brain like the hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain is what makes our brain so much more unique then other species. The way we learn and process all kinds of information is another aspect of what makes us human; our conscience and unconscious part of our brain is what gives us the decision to choose between right and wrong. Lastly sociology, I think makes us human with the aspect of culture. Symbols, values and norms are all a big part of our human development and interactions with others. Culture is a very distinctive characteristic that humans have and it forms how we react or do things in a specific way. All three of the social sciences have a very important and significant factor on what makes us human in my opinion. They all explain in their own way how we humans differentiate from other species and we are all still changing slowly which means human evolution is continuously in the making.
WHAT MAKES US HUMAN
By: Francis Azouri
To: Ms. Meffe
Due Date: Monday, March 4th, 2013
Course Code: HSP3M1