Why Do Humans Think They Are Superior to Chimpanzees?

Is man the most noble of creatures? What is the criterion for being the most noble? Is it his self-importance that leads him to believe he is superior to other beings, or is there truly superiority in action? Dr. Taghi Kimiayi Asadi, a neurologist, states that from an evolutionary perspective, only certain parts of the human brain are more advanced than those of other living beings. There is no superiority. However, Ahmad Kazemi Mousavi, a professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, argues that throughout history, humans have achieved advancements that place them in a superior position compared to other creatures. Mr. Kazemi Mousavi begins this week's program with the question of whether humans are the most noble of creatures. Does this claim have a theological root, or as some say, is it rooted in mythology or history? Why has it been said that humans are the most noble of creatures? Kazemi Mousavi: Yes, it should have a theological root in Islam. In the Quran, it is not mentioned as the most noble of creatures but rather in the context of human dignity, which has its roots. The theological root goes back to the fact that [God says in the Quran] we created man in the best form, but we also have that he was later returned to the lowest of the low. 'Then We returned him to the lowest of the low.' Overall, in this matter, humanity has become its own judge due to the awareness that humans have of their existence, comparing themselves to other living beings or nature or whatever they see around them. This early human was the first to reach awareness, and that awareness became a source for understanding the rest of the world, and then the rest of the world became an object, and he became the subject. Well, it is also mentioned in the Quran that 'And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them from the good things and preferred them over many of those We created.' We have given humans preference and superiority over many other things. What does human dignity return to? Ultimately, it returns to knowledge. We know that the entire creation of man was from eating from the forbidden tree. Man was in paradise. This is beautifully expressed in Hafez's poetry: 'Adam brought me to this dilapidated tavern.' This was the fruit of knowledge that man should not have eaten. The human conscience towards itself was what allowed it to recognize itself, and this recognition is something we have not seen in other beings that they have the same understanding of themselves and other beings, even in the heavens. Because of that knowledge that has reached a scientific level. Dr. Kimiayi Asadi: After all, this proposition about man is raised as the only being on earth that thinks and questions its existence. What Mr. Kazemi Mousavi referred to as knowledge and said that this dignity relates to this subject. Does all this make humanity what our program is about, namely the most noble of creatures? Taghi Kimiayi Asadi: You see, throughout history, the evolution that humanity is a part of, which evolved a hundred thousand years ago, has led to significant growth in the frontal cortex, giving it the power to introspect and pose many questions, which this cortex has assigned to a part of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex, compelling it to seek answers. If it finds an answer, well and good; if it does not, it falls into a state called myth-making. Humanity compared itself to other animals and came to the wrong conclusion that it is superior to the rest and has a separate soul from other animals, and until it became clear that we are actually part of a hierarchy, humanity remained with this erroneous belief. As a result, this false belief or myth-making created God and made itself a creation of God, claiming that God created me separately from clay on the sixth day of creation, and it became so arrogant that it said that God's other creations, including Satan, which was again born from its own thought, must bow before it. Even this was not enough. Until Copernicus, it was believed that the earth was the center of the universe and that humanity was the center of this vast world. This continued until science gradually proved that not only is the earth not the center of the universe, but humanity is part of other beings and, in terms of dignity, we might conclude that it is even lower than other animals. There is no animal that has caused as much harm to its own kind throughout its history, instigated wars, and created famine. In fact, the claim that humanity has dignity or virtue may hold true for a few individuals in specific circumstances, but in situations like war or when social conditions deteriorate, you realize that there are rarely individuals who possess human dignity. For this reason, I believe that there is no superiority for humanity. We have only advanced in the frontal cortex. More phenomena are created by our brains, and our only difference lies in the number of these phenomena. Very well. Mr. Kazemi Mousavi, you heard the important points from the other guest. He believes there is no news of dignity. Humanity has certainly not diminished in terms of wrongdoing and crime on earth. The Quran even states, 'Indeed, mankind is in loss.' The question here is, if you believe in that dignity mentioned in the Quran, is it an inherent matter—if we believe in something called essence? The Quran says we have placed it in all types of humans. Kazemi Mousavi: Yes, that is correct. However, we cannot judge here. All of these are stages of progress; now whether it started from myth-making or whatever, these are stages we have reached scientifically that we do not acknowledge, that this knowledge has caused more crimes than anything else. Knowledge itself does not commit crimes. It is humans who use the products of scientists and commit crimes. Countries that are in need of daily food misuse knowledge and are busy building weapons of mass destruction. I do not know how we can call this being the most noble of creatures. Which animal does this? Mr. Doctor, I want to ask you this question. Which animal does this? If we want to look at the issue from an evolutionary perspective, what is the relationship of humanity with other beings? Does the issue of human dignity and being the most noble of creatures come from a vertical or horizontal relationship that we see humanity in now? Kimiayi Asadi: Neither horizontal nor vertical. It has a temporal trajectory. You see, the world is a system of emergence and manifestation that gradually and spontaneously, without any goal or creator, becomes more and more complex, like a sea storm that starts from one point and continues to progress and become more complex. We are the same. Without any goal or creator, it happens randomly due to the physical and chemical conditions of the earth that life has emerged and due to the characteristics of the systems of manifestation, it has progressed to the point where we are now. This should not give us the arrogance that we are superior to the rest. If it were 200,000 years ago, neither I nor you would have existed, nor the so-called wise human who would have the arrogance to think he is superior to others. Probably, 200,000 years ago, humans did not consider themselves superior to chimpanzees and gorillas. Kazemi Mousavi: Yes, you see, we can only say that we are superior in terms of scientific achievements because of the knowledge and awareness that humanity has of its existence and of other subjects and recognizes other objects. In terms of morality and the killings that occur, we cannot say that at all. The way Dr. Kimiayi Asadi describes it seems to imply that only the mythical and religious aspects have taken on this responsibility. While he said that science is neutral. Yes, but who has brought this science to the stage of understanding and application? Humanity has done that. The fact that he said humans 200,000 years ago may not have considered themselves superior, but now they have reached a stage where they can even create climate changes. And these atmospheric changes and even humanity can distort the earth with the knowledge they have reached. We have various theories on this matter. Now I won’t name them. They believe that we should set aside this type of knowledge altogether. We cannot say that knowledge is neutral. Every science has a direction. Which direction does it go? It has been written that even the Renaissance and the fact that modernity has come from the seventeenth century onwards may have been a mistake, and perhaps humanity was happier with that mythical world it had before the Renaissance. I do not want to judge. The achievements that humanity has in terms of knowledge, well, they work very well for humanity, but when we see that ultimately it leads to confrontation or even the atmosphere and space of the earth can no longer bear this much application, at some point, we must have a limit to stop. They suggest. All of these are theories. [Myth and legend] cannot be blamed either. Every stage of myth and legend that has come has been a stage of progress for the awareness of that humanity. You say that dignity relates to scientific achievements. In the Quran, what is mentioned is that at a time when there were no scientific achievements, it testified to the virtue and superiority of humanity. It does not seem that the issue is scientific achievement. Kazemi Mousavi: The contemporary application of dignity that we refer to is precisely the facilities that sciences have provided for us. We consider the contemporary application of that dignity. Very well. Mr. Kimiayi Asadi, we return to you. Do you have a response to what Mr. Kazemi Mousavi said?