“The classical argument for why a supposedly decent and moral creature like Homo sapiens can mistreat and even extirpate other species rests upon an extreme position in a continuum. The Cartesian tradition, formulated explicitly in the seventeenth century, but developed in "folk" and other versions throughout human history no doubt, holds that other animals are little more than unfeeling machines, with only humans enjoying "consciousness," however defined.” HumansLittlesEnjoyAnimalConsciousnessMoralDoubtCenturyPositionCreaturesArgumentTraditionMachinesSpeciesFolksExtremesVersionsDefinedDecentNo DoubtHuman HistoryHomo SapiensContinuumUnfeelingMistreat Author:Stephen Jay Gould
“I hope we have learned throughout centuries of revolution and reaction that it's really a shift in consciousness that we need. And I think there is a shift in consciousness among our human species. I think the human species is evolving, spiritually.” ThinkingNeedsHumansConsciousnessCenturyRevolutionSpeciesReactionsEvolveHuman Species Author:Elizabeth Lesser
“[Children are] like talking animals. Their consciousness is so different from ours that they constitute a different species. They don't have to be particularly interesting children; just the fact that they are children is sufficient. They don't know what anything is, so they have to make it up. No matter how dull they are, they still have to figure things out for themselves.” KnowsChildrenStillsDifferentMatterFactsAnimalInterestingConsciousnessTalkingFiguresSpeciesSufficientDull Author:Fran Lebowitz
“The changes in the Catholic Church since Vatican II can certainly be scanned in terms of this long retreat from the sacred which has followed the inception of consciousness into the human species.” HumansLongTermChurchConsciousnessCatholicSacredSpeciesRetreatCatholic ChurchHuman SpeciesInceptionVatican Ii Author:Julian Jaynes
“If we don't change, if the egoic consciousness continues, I don't believe that humanity as a species can survive, or at least human civilization can survive, for another hundred years.” IfsYearsBelieveHumansHumanityConsciousnessCivilizationHundredSpeciesDon't BelieveDon't ChangeHuman Civilization Author:Eckhart Tolle
“What we do, as a conscious species, is set markers for ourselves. Once we reach one marker, we advance to the next.” NextConsciousnessConsciousSpeciesMarkers Author:Thomas Ligotti
“In a sense, what's happening is that the unconscious mind is a luxury the human species cannot afford at this point in our dilemma, and so the unconscious mind is simply rising into consciousness by being hardwired into this global infrastructure.” MindHumansConsciousnessHappeningsSpeciesLuxuryRisingUnconsciousInfrastructureDilemmaHuman SpeciesUnconscious Mind Author:Terence McKenna
“When I'm on the operating table, I'm happy for the surgeon to treat me as a machine, but the moment I return to consciousness I have other needs and aspirations that should be recognized. We're not here only to survive or extend our individual or species life but to do something seemingly more difficult, for which I've used words and phrases like 'love' and the 'Kingdom of God'.” NeedsShouldMomentsUsedIndividualDifficultConsciousnessReturnMachinesTreatsTablesSpeciesKingdomsPhrasesAspirationKingdom Of GodSurgeonsLike Love Author:George Pattison
“It's very interesting to think about the distinction with mind, which I just made in very general terms, but it can be made more profound when we think that there are many species, many creatures on earth that are very likely to have a mind, but are very unlikely to have a consciousness in the sense that you and I have.” ThinkingMindMadeEarthTermInterestingConsciousnessCreaturesProfoundSpeciesDistinctionUnlikelyVery Interesting Author:Antonio Damasio
“Despite one or two minority appeals our society is not outraged at man's unremitting use of the animal world. Ecologists and environmentalists may talk of "ecological consciousness" or "environmental responsibility" but seldom, if ever, is this responsibility articulated towards other non-human species in particular.” IfsMenWorldHumansMayTwoUseNatureAnimalConsciousnessResponsibilityEnvironmentParticularSpeciesEnvironmentalDespiteAppealsMinoritiesOur SocietyEcologicalEnvironmentalistHuman SpeciesOutragedAnimal WorldEnvironmental Responsibility Book:Animal rights: a Christian assessment of man's treatment of animals Source: Animal rights: a Christian assessment of man's treatment of animals
“It has been an obsession of human beings to create a hierarchy that places the human species on top and lumps all the "other animals" together beneath us. The resulting "speciesism" allows us to look upon animals as less deserving of all manner of rights and considerations than humans. To support this lower status, humans have argued that animals act instinctually; don't have souls; don't feel physical pain like we do; and lack self-consciousness, cognitive intelligence, emotional feelings, morality, and ethics.” FeelsHumansLooksHas BeensSoulSelfFeelingsPainTogetherHuman BeingsAnimalConsciousnessSupportRightsEmotionalMoralityEthicsSpeciesObsessionLook UpConsiderationHierarchyDeservingCognitiveLumpsSelf ConsciousnessHuman SpeciesPhysical PainSpeciesismMorality And Ethics Author:Sharon Gannon
“I think we can all recognize in some way or another that we as a human species, have been granted an incredible gift of intentionality and of consciousness. Perhaps this gift is a hint to how we should conduct our lives.” ThinkingWayShouldHumansHas BeensConsciousnessOur LivesSpeciesIncrediblesGrantedHintsHuman SpeciesIntentionality Author:Brendon Burchard
“A cockroach likely has no less brainpower than a butterfly, but we're quicker to deny it consciousness because it's a species we dislike.” ConsciousnessSpeciesDenyDislikeButterflyCockroaches Author:Jeffrey Kluger