Hu Man?

Read this article and then come back to the table. I'll wait.

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Back? Good.

I was talking with Skewb today about that article and about the bright line declaration these politicians are making about what is human.

The discussion - which ended prematurely - got me thinking. We're all so quick to try and define what a "human" is, but we're not thinking it through all the way. We're trying to make up a definition halfway through the discussion, on the fly. I think people need to think about this first, before we - or they - make any sweeping statements.

So let's take a step back and think for a second. What qualities does a human have - must a human have? Does a human have to have some basic level of thought processing? Or the capability to process thought? Does a human have to have a certain physical composition (i.e. 2 arms, a torso, a head, eyes, the human genome, etc...)?


Here's my two cents. I usually think of human-ness in 2 parts - the physical aspect and the mental aspect. For the mental side, I think that humans have the capability of a certain level of mental activity. Not that one must actually meet that level of activity, just that the capability be present. And by mental activity... well, I'm still working on that, but I mean something like brain waves or something measurable with an MRI.

Like I said, I'm still working on it.


For the physical side, I think... well, I'm not sure about this either. Maybe you're human if the genetic code of your organic body (can't forget about prosthetics) contains the 5 base pairs? I can't say certain number of chromosomes, cause then the chromosomal disorders would stick out. I can't say a certain physical shape, because then physical impairments would be out. I can't stick too close to genes, cause heck, maybe X Men will become reality, and then where would I be?

So I guess I'm still working on the whole concept. I know I like the dual aspects as necessary to be a human, but I'm not sure how to define each aspect. Any thoughts?