and there are still non-human persons. What makes humans unique is their ability to bring about their own demise.

I think social order and governance arises to guard against sociopathy and selfishness. Persons realize they have minds that can't be read, so they rely upon each other to survive the choices that conflict with retaining balance within their domain.

I think octopi may be persons, certainly the great apes and cetaceans are persons. Perhaps certain pigs, cats, and dogs as well.

We don't necessarily have to limit personality to humans. Communication between species is within the existential plane of personhood. Which beings among us have a sense of self beyond the triggers of instinct?

Last edited Sat Aug 19, 2023, 10:41 AM - Edit history (1)

Because many life forms do think, have memory, make choices, feel affection. I have a constant stream of thoughts going through my head. Can you imagine getting lifted from an instinctual set of choices to something more abstract? And the transition from mainly instinctual thought to abstract thought? I'm thinking of our automatic response of avoiding a hot stove burner and our consideration of what to put in the soup

of becoming soup.

In the right circumstances, many Earthlings would make food of us should we enter their domain without preparing for the possibilities.

Humans are an adaptive, and opportunistic species.

Most people around me are automatically squeamish about eating human flesh, or ghoulishly fascinated. I don't like discussing the episodes in history where it looks like people ate people. Or anything they could catch. Really unfortunate that everything has to eat something else to survive.

The other day, I thought that maybe in a perfect world, our fuel would come from some other source than from eating. Well, maybe the whole cycle is the most important brake on life.

binged on that last winter. haven't done the type of questioning you ask in a long time.

Things are settled, in a way. None of the people are alive today (unless reincarnation) and I can speculate freely over the evidence and relics presented in the documentary or book. It's nice break from wondering what's going to happen next in our current time span!

In line with what you enjoy a fantastic wealth of information.

The universe is overwhelming. I start thinking about its size, that it's, so far, endless and I get breathless

Perhaps just an observations I have to give here:

When Moses asked the burning bush representing God as to Who sent him to confront the king, the Bush said to tell the king that "I AM" sent Moses.

To me "I Am" means, "I know I exist" or the conscience awareness of anything in nature ~ even the granite parts of the world.

Neil Armstrong said when he was leaving Earth on the way to the moon, he looked back at the earth, when he had an epiphany. He saw Gaiah (the other name for Earth, my name not his). He realized that the Earth Itself was a conscious being.

Many sages from many cultures also saw Earth this way, as the "I AM," who never left Earth's surface. They are observing the sense of real conscience awareness in everything, thus the term "Mother Nature" we use today. It is really no secret that our Mother Who nourishes us and gives us existance. is an aware Being. It is told in any culture where this awareness is observed, the "I AM".

Just something to think about ...

Cat in Seattle