"What Makes us Human" - what do *you* think?

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So this guy is defining the human condition solely based on his physical/social interactions with others? Good news, according to Descartes he doesn't exist at all

Human = altruism
Thinking of others before yourself.
Opposite of hedonism, self depravity and selfishness.

I think that is both brilliant and beautiful...such a small difference really, to state that humanity is in the struggle, which includes all, rather than the achievement, which excludes many...

It has me feeling that I may now understand the subtle, subliminal root of the Irish default to exclusion for autistics.

I wish I had thought of that when I emailled him!

I wish that was enforceable by law. It is certainly my personal perception of humanity...but technically even the psychopath is human.

Can you elaborate on that?

Enforcing this by writ of law would be just another form of demagoguery. Altruism is voluntary.

Let me bring up the exact quote first, so it makes sense:



Now let me bring up the original:



In semantic terms it's a subtle inversion of a very similar statement, the big difference being that your statement is, of it's nature, unconditional and inclusionist, whereas Prof Fitzgerald's statement is, of it's nature, judgemental and exclusionist.

But I do not think the average person would really notice the difference unless it was pointed out to them, which is not the same as saying that they would not take that different attitude o board if they were presented with it often enough.

Prof Michael Fitzgerald was always our national expert, and not only that, but the man everyone trusted, no-one fell out with, and everyone counted on as a last resort, not only for Autism and developmental differences, but also, at least, suicidology.

He was the foundation on which all our attitudes and approaches to Autism and AS were built, and if his attitude has always been tainted with that subtle difference of believing that humanity, and thus equality was something to be earned by apparent conformity to a specified norm, and if every other attitude, approach and initiative in the country descends from that, cross pollinated by the usual universal pursuit of self interest and and a sense of superiority to others it goes a long way to explain why, here, in Ireland, a group of people can actually band together and seek funding for an "Autism Rights and Equality Alliance" that proactively excludes adult Autistics, and completely ignores their objections, and NOBODY BATS AN EYELID.

Ireland is currently actually moving *TOWARDS* seeing "Institutions for Independent Living" (with lucrative, in-house Supported Employment) as a default approach to Asperger Syndrome and HFA in adulthood. Aspies and HFAs are regularly sent to ABA schools and special schools...the first thing parents hear when the get a diagnosis of AS or HFA is that they are going to need a lot of support, at least one of them will have to give up work...etc and so forth...

On one hand that means we are materially safe here compared to the US and the UK...but on the other hand it means that we are being actively disenabled as surely as if we were hobbled, and in terms of having a voice in our own futures, we might as well not be there. Most of us seem thoroughly conditioned to agree with Prof and go through life apologising for our less than human status in all but words anyway, because that is the only message we have ever recieved through our childhoods...

Not hurled at us with abuse, if it was, we would rebel, but explained kindly and haltingly by the one man everybody trusted...over and over again, in every variation you can think of, echoed by everyone who is suppose to help and support us...

Listen to the rest of the documentary and you will get some idea what I mean by that learned attitude of unconscious self contempt.

These are not stupid people. They are talented, and intelligent, every one that speaks has an IQ way above the norm. Yet NOT ONE OF THEM, nor the NT production staff, noticed how appalling that statement was...because here, in Ireland, that is how we are used to seeing autistics at best...not worst...

Hmmm being a member of humanity and "acting" human could be perceived, perhaps, as two different things.
There plenty of psychopaths who may be philanthropic at heart but carry a deep set need to carry out a behavior because of a specific pathological need.

An alternative way of looking at "being human"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_Human_(TV_series)

Then they are not psychopaths...just pathologically anti-social...because psychopathy exists at heart.

To follow on your other post in spirit (though "Being Human" never seems as compelling a series as it should be to me - more like "Hollyoaks" with supernatural overtones).

Nothing prevents a psychopath from choosing to behave and live life in a compassionate and altruistic way, against all their instincts, because, without conscience, sense of consequence, or altruistic empathy, they have everything to lose and nothing to gain by it. They may try sometimes, I don't know, but I have never seen one succeed.

I was also thinking, later, that because of the attitudes here in Ireland, Aspies may be a protected species, compared to many countries in the world but that is where it ends...as a lower species to be protected and controlled, we have no recognition, let alone credibility, as adult human beings. I can think of at least two blatant, and cogniscent Aspies in "public life" who, despite being involved in related areas, not only stay so far back in the closet they are in Narnia, but also deny it by subtly leading the charge in perpetuating the dehumanisation of the rest of us.

I will not invade their privacy by naming them.