quote:
Part of the confusion is what is meant by "animal". The term is sometimes used as an insult, to suggest nasty behavor. Also, "animal", when contrasted with "human" roughly means "nonsentient".
That's one misguided insult... Do animals do bad things? Yes, they kill, poison, dominate each other, cheat, parasitize, copulate in public etc. but don't they also defend their young, trying relentlessly, cooperate, wait in patience, comminucate in various ways, console each other?
Maybe it's the animals who would object being deingrated by humans. I don't see human behaviour, either modern or archaic as morally superior to animals. Don't we kill each other, cheat, torture, propagandize?