What makes a human deserving of respect/value

[Flyndaran]

Is it intelligence? If so, then retarded people should be considered second class citizens. If not, then why don't we treat non-human animals with human level respect.
If it's sense of self, then why don't we treat those few individual animals that show it respect?
I mean come on, I had a do that invented hard cider by burying apples, and waiting for them to ferment before eating them all at once to get plastered.

[BroomJockey]

Basic human-ness. Many species have a "live together, die alone" mentality. They'll compete for resources, mates, and dominance, but rarely to the death. It's pretty much just the fact that we're all human, and that genetically ingrained instinct that keeps us from wiping each other off the face of the planet.

That IS the entire point of wartime propaganda, after all, to de-humanize the enemy to the point where your soldiers can overcome that instinct to preserve similar life. I'd say that need to do so pretty much seals it.

[Flyndaran]

So humans are deserving of respect only because we ourselves are human?
That would mean that aliens could land here and kill us, because we aren't them, and that would be ok.
I don't like that line of thought.

[BroomJockey]

That would mean that aliens could land here and kill us, because we aren't them, and that would be ok.
I don't like that line of thought.

Why? What makes humans so deserving of life? Assumedly any alien that's capable of flying here across the galaxy is way smarter than us, and more advanced in science and technology. That would basically put them as far above us as we are above most animals on this planet, and most people have no qualms about picking themselves in an us vs. them situation. It's just we've usually got the edge to put us on the winning side. In this case, the aliens would. Advanced aliens wiping us out wouldn't be terribly different from us wiping out wolves. Simply removing a predator from the ecosystem. Sure, it'll fuck stuff up for a while, but something will step in to the gap eventually.

[Flyndaran]

Well, at least you're consistent.
I feel that full self awareness is the true line across which any animal becomes deserving of full respect.
Intelligence is only important in what one does with sapience.
I am no more or less valuable than my slow friend or super intelligent hypothetical alien.

[jackfaire]

smarter than us, and more advanced in science and technology..

Just because a race has advanced further in technology does not make them smarter or put them above us. Some cultures in our world don't have science or technology.

[BroomJockey]

Just because a race has advanced further in technology does not make them smarter or put them above us. Some cultures in our world don't have science or technology.

Did you leave out the "assumedly" on purpose? Because that one word pretty much negates your entire point.

[Slytovhand]

Nice thread, Flyn! I'm surprised it hasn't popped up earlier....

I have to disagree with some of the points made (well, presumed!)

No, just being born into a particular body does not automatically entitle you to certain inalienable rights.. and especially to continue that life or be given 'respect'. The ability to move and to communicate doesn't make you any more special than anything else... after all, it's only a matter of evolution - you got lucky!

'Respect' is something that a person earns... after you're given a little rope (ie, youth). If you choose to waste what you're given, if you choose to ignore other people's basic 'rights' that you have been given, then you get your own taken away.

It's how you behave that makes all the difference. And thus what level of 'respect' you should get.

[Flyndaran]

I consider the inalienable respect deserved of a human being to come with duties as well.
We have the most amazing ability found in nature; the ability to judge our actions and change them to force a true balance to nature, a justice.
Even mass murderers deserve some modicum of respect that crabs don't, in my opinion. No man may ever be a thing or inhuman in anything but figurative prose. Actions may be inhumanE, but people can't be inhuman.

(I'm stating my views as fact for emphasis only. I know and welcome other viewpoints.)

[Fashion Lad!]

As far as respect goes... you get what you give. I will admit there are times when I give people less respect than they give me, but I don't know I'm doing it until after the fact. I'm not that quick in the head.

Seriously though, you get what you give.