The Reality of Human Exceptionalism

 

Dr. Alice C. Linsley

Many social issues of the Western world hinge on decisive statements about humans. They touch on human dignity, human diversity, human rights, and human reproduction. We hear from "experts" in many fields, but rarely from anthropologists whose focus is humankind.

The British biologist Richard Dawkins has been outspoken on these issues. In a particularly flamboyant statement, he denigrated the dignity of the unborn human.

"With respect to those meanings of 'human' that are relevant to the morality of abortion, any fetus is less human than an adult pig." - Richard Dawkins' Tweet

Yet Dawkins acknowledges that humans are exceptional. He states: "As Darwin recognized, we humans are the first and only species able to escape the brutal force that created us, natural selection….We alone on earth have evolved to the point where we can…overthrow the tyranny of natural selection.” (Have Humans Outgrown Natural Selection?)

The Hebrew writers of Genesis believed that God created humans fully human from the beginning in a divine act at a moment in the distant past. There is no reason to reject this view since humans appeared suddenly on the earth about 4 million years ago, and though these were anatomically archaic, they were nonetheless, fully human. We have evidence that they walked upright, had human dentition, hunted and butchered, and controlled fire.

The discovery of a complete fourth metatarsal of A. afarensis at Hadar shows the deep, flat base and tarsal facets that "imply that its midfoot had no ape-like midtarsal break. These features show that the A. afarensis foot was functionally like that of modern humans." (Carol Ward, William H. Kimbel, Donald C. Johanson, Feb. 2011)

A. afarensis used polished bone tools, had communal meals, and controlled fire. Some of the earliest evidence of controlled use of fire by humans was found at Swartkrans in South Africa. Other sites that indicate fire use include Chesowanja near Lake Baringo, Koobi Fora and Olorgesailie in Kenya.

In 2011 researchers discovered jaw bones and teeth of four individuals in the Afar region of Ethiopia which date to between 3.3m and 3.5m years old. These archaic humans were alive at the same time as other groups of early humans. Clearly, there were more archaic humans living in Africa 3 million years ago than is generally recognized.

Jeremy DeSilva showed that Australopithecus lacked the large grasping toe typical of tree climbers, and its spine, pelvis, knees, and ankles were made for walking on two legs. DeSilva compared the ankle joint, the tibia and the talus fossils of human ancestors ("hominins") between 4.12 million to 1.53 million years old, he discovered that all of the ankle joints resembled those of modern humans rather than those of apes. Chimpanzees flex their ankles 45 degrees from normal resting position. This makes it possible for apes to climb trees with great ease. While walking, humans flex their ankles a maximum of 20 degrees. The human ankle bones are quite distinct from those of apes. (One Small Step for Man — Bostonia Summer 2010)

Muscle reconstruction provides further evidence that the Australopithecine walked as modern humans do.

From the perspective of anthropology, the deep time record of human activity is evident in the vast number of innovative objects made and used by humans. Here is a short list.

Deniers of Human Exceptionalism

Human exceptionalism proposes, on the basis of data, that humans are unique and superior to other animals. Deniers claim that the belief is dangerous because it can lead to unsustainable practices and environmental degradation. However, humans also undertake many productive measures to preserve their environments.

Deniers assert that belief in human exceptionalism can lead to forgetting how all living creatures are interdependent. However, humans protect and encourage pollinators such as bees and butterflies, and control invasive species. We create protected areas, practice sustainable land management, support conservation efforts, and encourage biodiversity.

Deniers claim that belief in human exceptionalism promotes exploitation of other living creatures. Yet humans are compassionate toward animals and seek to preserve them and their habitats. Humans came up with animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, and fund-raising projects to improve the lives of other creatures.

Humans organize for war, ritually bury their dead, and offer prayers. They venerate their ancestors, create shrines to their heroes, and develop political systems. 

To deny the reality of human exceptionalism is to deny facts. Anthropologists have observed many complex social structures among humans, our ability to laugh at ourselves, to create play, to reason using high logic, to negotiate and resolve conflicts, to deliberate moral and ethical questions, and to adapt fairly quickly to ever-changing conditions. 

Related reading: STEM Education: What Paleoanthropologists Want to Discover; Many Groups of Archaic Humans; Can Molecular Models be aligned with Human Morphology?