Philosophical Question

A mix of the ideal environmental conditions for health, together with and mobility/dexterity design characteristics. As a biological system then, any environment which is less suited to those should in theory increase stress in various ways on that biological system and of course reduce its capabilities. So i guess I'd define something by its idealized mode or state from its design characteristics.

Oh man, what a question.

I think about this often and actually used this exact topic for many a Philosophy Thesis Paper. And after reading some of the most intricate works written by the great thinkers of the world, I have come to the conclusion that we will simply never know.

Now, here me out: Let's say that you have a wooden block on a table, and let's say that the wooden box has been covered by a blanket. Now, let's say that we invited multiple strangers in and said, "Please define the item that is under this blanket". I think you can see where this is going.

You're going to get so many different ideas and explanations. Some may shrug, others may try to argue with such a zeal that they just MUST be right, and who knows, maybe a handful of people will describe it perfectly. But the point is, how are we supposed to define something when we do not completely understand the object in question? We could have all of the best philosophical, theological, and educational conversations that we want, but I don't think that we'll nail it on the head.

Yet, isn't that the beauty of it all? Isn't that the wonder of the Force? Like Alan Watts says (Is it obvious that I'm on a readers high from the IP yet?:laugh: ) "As an ocean 'waves', the universe 'peoples'". There's a reason that we seek the Force as much as we can, and that is because we are the Force, as the Force is everything. So, what does it mean to be human?

Nothing.
Everything.

What does it mean to be a human being?

Simple:
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Primates
Suborder Haplorhini
Genus Homo
Species sapiens
Subspecies sapiens.

That's right, we have that much of an ego that we created our own subspecies as "wise wise man".

What does it mean to be a Human Being... To experiance the human condition? And does that hold true to other self aware species? Will we still call a sense of connection and kindness Humanity when/if other sapient creatures are found? But since we have little to base these things on other then our own experience I shall to keep calling it humanity until we find a better word. Either way it is a question as old as thought with more truths then ways to ask it. One persons truth might be an insult to another. But this thread is about the opinion of it rather then the impossible universal truth. I do so enjoy truths and reading each of these deep, fun, and sceintific answers, each opinion tell alot about a person. And in truth are all correct in my opinion. I have seen people rally together from states and countries far far away to help their fellow people... That is human. I have seen many parade around under the guise of humanitarian with deep rooted hate for anything not like them... Unfortunatly that to is human. Hate is all to human it seems. But so to is benevolence. It is up to all of us to make the definition of human to be better, be better then human and therefore making the definition of human better. Human is a funny word...

A human being - rather a 'sentient' being (human or not) is one that is capable of posing the question : "what does it mean to be a (human) being ?"

It is a fine, old question that has been pondered just about ever since we've (as a species) have been able to 'ponder' anything at all. Sharks do not suppose such questions ; dolphins and elephants just might ... we don't really know.

I'm not going to point at any particular philosopher's approach to the question, but one might consider that Husserl, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty got it as well surrounded as we would in this thread. It is a good thing to get 'wrong', for that means it is an important enough question to take a shot at an answer on.

So, instead of getting keen on any particular answer, just let the question of 'meaning' tickle your ... well, choose an organ. And that is already pretty 'human'.

Nothing other than what humans do, have done, and will.

I don't think anyone has ever adequately answered that question, and I'm not sure the question is one that can be adequately answered. Symbols (words, numbers etc) have meaning because they represent something other than themselves - and those meanings are arbitrarily agreed upon by a certain group. For instance, the word 'dent' means something different in French, compared to English. Its all rather subjective, or intra-subjective - so meanings are rarely, if ever, objective. For what its worth I think Carl Sagan came closest to an answer "We are a way for the Cosmos to know itself"

I love this pic- I swear I need to make it into a shirt at the printshop!

I also love this question: and it is arguably one that cannot be avoided, especially by a Jedi/Jediist.

As some have said, that what it means to be human is "to die",I would have to slightly agree since that is the shared nature of our embodiment, but so to is it with all living things. But what separates us from them?

I wonder if it means something that we should LIVE, but not like other creatures; we are granted a sense of sentience that goes further than anything else known to this world, but where does it end? Perhaps pondering this question will shed some light on what it means to be human.

Hence, I'd suggest that what it means to be human is to be cognizant of as much as possible- ourselves, others, the good and the bad- and use our sentience to raise awareness to greater and greater levels of experience.

If we look at history, Sentience is constantly moving towards something. Sometimes it dicks itself, but for the most part, it is evolving towards something, from something, with some sort of momentum. Sounds awfully familiar doesn't it?

Further, this notion of "The Force" is an evolved way of being- it is a common experiential philosophy that finds itself perennially emerging where it has been stifled. To me, that is indicative that the Force is intimately tied to being not only alive, but mindfully aware and sentient.

I can't speak too much on the future, but when I think of this, it informs my awareness with a deep sense of luminosity, and I often find myself being guided to "do better", "learn more", and "be greater", whatever that means at that moment.

But, I could be grossly mistaken. Who knows? I certainly don't- I just thought I'd share my two cents :woohoo:

LOL

#JediismForThePapacy #YodaForPresident

To love. To laugh. To smile. To cry.

To be.

Oh sentience!! I thought it was 'human as a concept' which might work best going forward. I don't think humans are alone in having sentience, so I didn't make the connection. It seems a bit elitist to assert that as being solely human!!

What makes something sentient.... I think we can only understand it as being;
A. system built on self awareness ie 'agency'
B. an understanding of change as an experience of time

So when we come to questions of computer sentience for example, we compare it to what we expect of 'humans', which really is the product of our bodily form with its inherit limitations and capabilities, languages, culture and how our system of self awareness and focus tends to relate across those types of things, IMO.

So the question becomes what 'type' of sentience, which I think is more useful because its a form of process in engagement rather then an immediate judgement comparison to 'human'.

But I've read too much science fiction and think we need to be above species discrimination..... like we're ever going to meet aliens or something