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>I am not trying to moralize here, but I think that Miles, and for that
>matter the scores of other species-centric folk who believe that humans are
>'special', 'morally superior,' have a 'soul' and the kindred mumbo-jumbo -
>got it all backward. Humans are unique in that they are LESS empathic than
>other mammals (rather than more empathic) - or at least they can control and
>override their empathy by 'higher' cognitive functions of their brain.
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I couldn't agree more, though I would hardly call those "cognitive
functions" higher. The more we "live in our heads" and hostage to those
"higher functions," the more out of touch with our feelings we are, the
more out of the world we are.
And what exactly are those higher functions except symbol manipulation? And why are they "higher" except that they allow us to justify extremely horrendous behavior.
Joanna
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