Define "Inhuman"

[Cobblestones]

I'm reading a book about how some people are "inhuman" to one another yet thus far the contents have simply outlined those things that humans do. I am curious what you think the word "inhuman" means or implies and if there are examples of what you mean by your particular definition.

 

[JasonII]

nice observation
I guess we can't live up to our own expectations!

 

[footprints]

I'm reading a book about how some people are "inhuman" to one another yet thus far the contents have simply outlined those things that humans do. I am curious what you think the word "inhuman" means or implies and if there are examples of what you mean by your particular definition.

"Inhuman," would have to be defined as anything which opposed the authors point of view in the book you are reading.

As a species humans have many, many traites which are derived from human intelligence and knowledge aquired when the two are put together.

A person shows another person in life an act of kindness. Some will look at that person and say, look at that act of kindness?. Another will look at the same thing and say, what is that person after? Of course there are many other variations which human intelligence can put to the same observation.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I'm reading a book about how some people are "inhuman" to one another yet thus far the contents have simply outlined those things that humans do. I am curious what you think the word "inhuman" means or implies and if there are examples of what you mean by your particular definition.

It's interesting how many "inhuman" acts are pretty much exclusively performed by humans.

 

[TheKnight]

We call it inhuman because in order to do such reprehensible actions we must sink beneath a level that is befitting for us. We sink down to the level of animals and only then are we able to preform acts of inhumanity.

I am not saying that we are like animals in the content of what we do, but in the mindset behind it. It's not that the actions we do are actions that animals do, but that we think like animals when we do them. Actions of humanity consist of a person having a mental disharmony between body and soul where the actions and desires of the body completely overwhelm those of the soul. The body then decides to behave like an animal. To sink to its roots and behave in a way that other humans consider inhumane.

 

[Willamena]

I am curious what you think the word "inhuman" means or implies and if there are examples of what you mean by your particular definition.

Examples include cruelty, unkindness and a lack of compassion in general, cold-heartedness --all having an emotional context.

I'm reading a book about how some people are "inhuman" to one another yet thus far the contents have simply outlined those things that humans do.

Surely if "those things that humans do" are inhuman, they are not "those things that humans do"? What I mean is this: what, from this, can you deduce about what it is to "be human" in this context?

 

[imaginaryme]

Human - homo sapiens sapiens.
Inhuman - other things.

Probably better expressed as inhumane... but that's just more comedy in my book. All the crap we get up to is pretty much restricted to the human race. That's what happens when an animal has no natural predators - imbalance.

 

[Cobblestones]

"Inhuman," would have to be defined as anything which opposed the authors point of view in the book you are reading.

The truly interesting thing is that the author goes out of her way to describe similar "inhuman" traits among other primates and further indicates that such behaviours are simply evidence of our biological connection to said primates. So, on the one hand, social dominance is denounced as a form of inhumanity while on the other hand it is a common aspect of humanity as well as of other primates.

This begs the entire question of "sin" or a "sin nature" that some religions speak to. How can something that occurs in multiple groups of primates be considered "sin" except that homo sapiens sapiens also have this trifling little thing called "rationality" (with which we have developed this other nagging thing called a "conscience") to contend with?

Point being, if you believe that a god created us then you have to admit that he created us out a very similar pattern to non-rational primates rather than making us completely unique. If this is the case, how could the term "sin" ever enter into the conversation since what we call "sin is pretty much just human (and primate) nature?

 

[Cobblestones]

We call it inhuman because in order to do such reprehensible actions we must sink beneath a level that is befitting for us. We sink down to the level of animals and only then are we able to preform acts of inhumanity.

I am not saying that we are like animals in the content of what we do, but in the mindset behind it.

I tend to disagree with this. I don't think that things like revenge are extremely common in other species. I may be wrong. But from what I have gathered, it seems that social dominance, for example, works in nature very nicely; the strongest, most ruthless one wins and the weak ones then take the subservient role. It is humans who go on to strategize ways to get back at the dominant persons or even to find petty ways to punish them. I'd like to open this up to discussion though since I have not made a thorough inquiry into the matter. This is merely conjecture on my part.

My point is that if we were to "sink down to the level of animals" there would probably be a lot less violence in the world.

 

[zenzero]

Friend cobblestones,

Define "Inhuman"

Guess that would be other than what a *human* should be!
Since humans are said to have evolved from animals and more *conscious* about everything.

Love & rgds

 

[YmirGF]

I'm reading a book about how some people are "inhuman" to one another yet thus far the contents have simply outlined those things that humans do. I am curious what you think the word "inhuman" means or implies and if there are examples of what you mean by your particular definition.

I have always felt that inhumane acts are all too human. My thinking is that people who describe actions of other human animals as being inhumane or inhuman are generally reluctant to face the more brutish aspects of our nature and seek to pretend that those aspects do not exist.

 

[MissAlice]

Inhuman:

Invented by humans who think themselves superior to other life form. It is oftenly expressed at those who's behavior is that of another species.

In short, having the likeness of a mammal, reptillian or amphibian is customarily seen as bad.

 

[footprints]

The truly interesting thing is that the author goes out of her way to describe similar "inhuman" traits among other primates and further indicates that such behaviours are simply evidence of our biological connection to said primates. So, on the one hand, social dominance is denounced as a form of inhumanity while on the other hand it is a common aspect of humanity as well as of other primates.

The beauty of human nature is we can find what we are looking for in any given thing.

With human intelligence we can discern the difference between dominance and equality. We know the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy.

This begs the entire question of "sin" or a "sin nature" that some religions speak to. How can something that occurs in multiple groups of primates be considered "sin" except that homo sapiens sapiens also have this trifling little thing called "rationality" (with which we have developed this other nagging thing called a "conscience") to contend with?

LOL a conscience only nags people who have done something wrong against their own intelligence. Primates to show this as they also show compassion, sympathy and a lot of other human emotions.

Point being, if you believe that a god created us then you have to admit that he created us out a very similar pattern to non-rational primates rather than making us completely unique. If this is the case, how could the term "sin" ever enter into the conversation since what we call "sin is pretty much just human (and primate) nature?

Not really sure pertaining to the God created us thing, albeit it does equate to every designer I have ever personally known, I often refer to it as a designers trademark. When you work in close association with a lot of design engineers, you can generally tell who has designed something by the way it is designed, or more so, the details of the design and the way it goes together. If something has worked for them in the past and worked well, why change it on later models unless there was a real need to.

 

[imaginaryme]

We know the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy.

:biglaugh:

Sorry... carry on.

 

[TheKnight]

I tend to disagree with this. I don't think that things like revenge are extremely common in other species. I may be wrong. But from what I have gathered, it seems that social dominance, for example, works in nature very nicely; the strongest, most ruthless one wins and the weak ones then take the subservient role. It is humans who go on to strategize ways to get back at the dominant persons or even to find petty ways to punish them. I'd like to open this up to discussion though since I have not made a thorough inquiry into the matter. This is merely conjecture on my part.

My point is that if we were to "sink down to the level of animals" there would probably be a lot less violence in the world.

I didn't really go too much into it because it's complex. To be honest, I don't know why we call it inhuman. I suppose an argument could be made for it.

 

[Erebus]

I'm reading a book about how some people are "inhuman" to one another yet thus far the contents have simply outlined those things that humans do. I am curious what you think the word "inhuman" means or implies and if there are examples of what you mean by your particular definition.

"Inhuman" pretty much covers any kind of behaviour that humans don't like to admit comes naturally to them.

 

[Cobblestones]

I have always felt that inhumane acts are all too human. My thinking is that people who describe actions of other human animals as being inhumane or inhuman are generally reluctant to face the more brutish aspects of our nature and seek to pretend that those aspects do not exist.

I think you are correct. Indeed, what is "civilization" except our attempt to dominate nature? And yet, if we were to die out in a plague or something, nature would take over pretty much all of our attempts at dominance (cities etc) within a couple hundred years and there would be little left to tell that we were here at all - except in those exceptionally arid places like Egypt. I think we dislike how weak we really are and have deluded ourselves into thinking we are stronger than we are both in the physical aspect and in our behaviours.

 

[Cobblestones]

"Inhuman" pretty much covers any kind of behaviour that humans don't like to admit comes naturally to them.

Well put.

 

[Storm]

I'm reading a book about how some people are "inhuman" to one another yet thus far the contents have simply outlined those things that humans do. I am curious what you think the word "inhuman" means or implies and if there are examples of what you mean by your particular definition.

It's an interesting question, and one that never occured to me. Thanks for that.

Anyway, I've been mulling it over since you first posted. I think humans have what is quite possibly the unique capacity to imagine something better, to think in "should" rather than simply "is." I further think that this capacity carries with it a moral imperative to live up to our own dreams, to "be the change you wish to see in the world." When we fail in that, we have become "inhuman" by forfeiting that which sets us apart.

:candle:

 

[sandandfoam]

I have always felt that inhumane acts are all too human. My thinking is that people who describe actions of other human animals as being inhumane or inhuman are generally reluctant to face the more brutish aspects of our nature and seek to pretend that those aspects do not exist.

Spot on.
Ironically the evidence suggests that those who believe themselves least likely to behave in an 'inhuman' manner are those most at risk of doing so.