What is Human?

By LeAnn Jones

     In the years I have spent debating with people over the topic of what makes a person human, most have told me God is what makes us human.  That we were created by some omniscient being that cannot be perceived with any of the five senses is the result of a few lost marbles.  Assuming that these people are correct that some god did in fact create us, does that make us human?  No, it does not.  For one, being created is just the first step, but its a very vague one.  What comes after the creation is what can be labeled as human.  People cannot seem to dig deep enough and see that we are human because of our actions and how we react to situations. 

     My poor example of this follows:  If I were God and I made people out of clay, then they have been created only.  What they do with their life, and how they react, and how they live and talk and walk and think and feel, are results of their own being, not my creation.  I guess what I mean is, creating a human out of clay is just about as far fetched as God creating us. 

     When it comes to discussing humans and computers, there is an extreme difference of what can be called human.  Of course some people can say that between a human and a computer, the human is obviously human.  And they are right.  But it doesnt and shouldnt stop there.  They fail to give their reasons as to why something is what it is.  A computer is an object that can be plugged into the wall and in so doing it comes alive by doing most of the thinking for us.  But humans are living and breathing creatures and we can think for ourselves without having to be programmed. 

     Programming is also an issue that arises out of this.  Some people are programmed to think a certain way, but even after this occurs, they are still human due to how they react to certain situations.  Computers can react as well but not in the same way.  Just as humans die from fatal diseases, some computers shut down altogether from viruses but that does not make the computer human in any way. 

     Back to the definition that most people seem to give about what makes us human, God.  We hear people say that if it were not for God we would not be here.  But how do they know this is true?  That definition does not stand well and has no solid evidence of proof.  What I intend to argue here is that we are humans because of our personality and our actions and not because someone said we were made by some ethereal being.

     My first example is our emotions.  Humans have several emotions ranging from happy and sad, to angry and aggressive.  If I go into a liquor store and see someone get shot, I am going to feel terrible for the person who got shot and I would fear for my own life as well.  Now, if I were to go into that same liquor store where there is a computer, do you think the computer would feel bad about someone getting shot?  No.  It is just a computer and has no feelings.  Our ability to express feelings and emotions make us human.

     My second example is our experiences.  If I am in a car accident with two other people, each of us will be having different thoughts go through our head while the accident is occurring.  This is due to differences in experiences.  A computer thats in a car accident wont feel anything, but it will be completely destroyed.  A person might feel bad for the computer getting bashed up, but the computer will feel nothing.  Our experiences, which cause us to feel emotions, make us human.

     My third example is our ability to reason.  If I am having a really bad day and get into some trouble with another person, I can reason with them (or hope I can) about things.  It may not always work, but we have the ability to do this.  A computer has no ability to reason at all.  Our ability to reason makes us human.

     My fourth example is that of sex and attraction.  We, as people, experience attraction to others.  We become interested, date, fall in love, and then engage in sexual activity.  Not once have I ever seen a computer have sex.  There is sex on the computer screen, but computers do not, and could not have sex.  Our ability to become sexually stimulated and attracted to others, make us human.

     My fifth example is that of security.  When we become adults and have children of our own, we sense a new security that comes from being a new parent.  We feel the need to protect our children from harm.  When we do this, we are providing our own kids with the knowledge they will need for when they are grown and have their own children.  Computers cannot physically protect another person.  Our sense of security makes us human.

     My sixth example is the passing of knowledge.  We have learned from experience and from our parents and teachers about what is right and wrong.  We have incorporated this into our own beliefs and have passed this on to others.  We are able to spread knowledge to others by spoken or written word.  Computers cannot do this without the help of humans.  Computers lack self.  Our ability to provide knowledge to others, make us human.

     We are human because of our personalities.  Our fears also make us human.  The fact that we can physically destroy things after creating them shows that we are human.  The tendencies we have towards things and the desires we show for others make us unique as people.  Human is understanding.