Do we humans have a purpose? Is that purpose given to us, or do we seek to make one for ourselves?

Are humans uniquely valuable? More valuable than gorillas and gophers? If so, why?

This episode discusses how each of the four great world views would answer those questions.

Microphone (ZOOM P4 Audio): Welcome to

philosophy and faith where our goal is

2

to help you navigate your intellectual

and spiritual journey, especially in

3

regards to topics like God, faith and

doubt, meaning and purpose and more.

4

I'm Nathan Beasley and I'm Daniel Jepson.

5

And together we discuss the big

questions that humans have wrestled

6

with for thousands of years.

7

We're glad you can join us.

8

So today we're going to be

telling me about the philosophical

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category called anthropology.

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Which is a really big.

11

Fancy word.

12

For the category that explores the nature

of humans, humanity questions, like what

13

sets humans apart from other animals are.

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course, it's interesting.

15

If you pick up a philosophy

textbook, it probably won't have

16

a chapter labeled anthropology.

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Really.

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Yeah, and at the apology.

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Is a term in the category

I like to use because.

20

This is The place where at least

two of those other large divisions.

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Intersect.

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And that would be the

categories of metaphysics.

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As well as the categories of value theory.

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And then it also affects systemology.

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Yeah.

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This to me, seems like a

deeply important question.

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Because it feels a little bit less

Ethereum to me, and more grounded because.

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You know where people.

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And so do people matter,

are people important?

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Are they different?

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Right.

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What's the value.

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Especially, I think a lot of the

political questions that we have.

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Related to, economy or related to

just the treatment, the unborn

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or a lot of these are probably

grounded in anthropology's at affair.

36

Yes.

37

And even more than that though, I think.

38

One of the reasons.

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That this hits home for me or

that I want to talk about it.

40

It's because I feel people don't have an

understanding of their purpose as humans.

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I think there is an answer to that.

42

But I think most people.

43

Either don't think about their

purpose for being here or conclude.

44

They don't have a purpose for being here.

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Or they're just a little

confused about the whole thing.

46

Yeah.

47

This one is more kind

of personal, perhaps.

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I think so.

49

Yeah, we're going to be talking about.

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What makes humans unique?

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And then related to that,

what makes them valuable?

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And that will give the

foundation for finding purpose.

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Purpose for humanity, but also more

importantly for our individual purpose.

54

Gotcha.

55

Yeah.

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I can see how it's kind of in between.

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Metaphysics.

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And value theory.

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Right.

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And that's why I'm using the

term anthropology, even though.

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I risking.

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Having the thought confused

with physical anthropology.

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Which studies.

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Human origins and societies so

we're going to look at again.

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At the four.

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Broad categories, the families, so

to speak the four big worldviews.

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And of course, these are

a little bit generalized.

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For the sake of not having

a five-hour long podcast.

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Yeah, we're, we're flying

at 40,000 foot level here.

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This is, an overview.

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So each of these is really.

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A family of worldviews underneath

that, or, or different ways

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of looking at this world.

74

Yeah, it's kind of like we mentioned

last time by allergy, you have the

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species which would be homosapiens,

then you have the genus, which would be.

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, primates.

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And then the larger family,

which would be mammals.

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So we're looking at this larger families

of ideas yeah, that makes sense.

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So we've got monotheism, we've

got atheism, we've got pantheism

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and we've got polytheism.

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sO what do you say we get into

each of these exploring kind of the

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perspective on each of these four

big worldviews and their relationship

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to the uniqueness and the value of.

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Humanity.

85

Yeah, let's do it.

86

Cool.

87

All right.

88

Let's do monotheism first.

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So, what would you say is the,

anthropology of monotheism?

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The basic fundamental.

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Idea or truth.

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About anthropology within

this monotheistic perspective.

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Is that humans are created.

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And they're created with a

purpose and a value inherently.

95

So.

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A Christian.

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And a jury will believe that there is

a God who transcends this universe.

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And that a certain time.

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To use that word loosely.

100

He brought forth within

this world, certain beings.

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And one race or species

of that being homosapiens.

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And that they have a unique value because

they alone are created in God's image

103

to be God's likeness within this world.

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So that is a fundamentally

important distinction.

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That is not true with the other worldviews

that we're going to be looking at.

106

So in this viewpoint.

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Humans are unique.

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Because they have a unique place in role

within this world and a unique potential

109

for a relationship with the creator.

110

And he went to our valuable.

111

Because God has given us that

valuable role and purpose, it plays.

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Right from the start.

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So it's an inherent thing.

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Value is a, gift that you were given.

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It's something inherent about you

simply by virtue of being a human.

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It's not something you achieve.

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And because of that, your

value is not dependent on what

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you do or how smart you are.

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How beautiful you are., the ugliest

person in the world is just as

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valuable as the most beautiful

supermodel a person with down syndrome.

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Is just as valuable as the next Einstein.

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It's not based on any of those criteria.

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Gotcha.

124

Yeah, that's really interesting.

125

So , it's not performance or

function-based as much as just

126

like you said, it's inherent.

127

Yes.

128

Okay.

129

, you want to start talking

about the next one here?

130

Sure.

131

So the next one you would call.

132

Secular thought or you could call

it materialism or naturalism.

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Here because we're lining them all up

according to their most basic belief about

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the nature of reality in terms of look at.

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We're calling it atheism.

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Naturalism is a better

name for the worldview.

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The idea that reality is

matter and energy only.

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So nature as opposed to supernatural.

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And again, this is the basic idea.

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There are no gods of any kind.

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And there's nothing that transcends this.

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Cosmos that we're in.

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However you want to define it.

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And remember last time

we talked about having.

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small terrarium in your hands.

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And the question is, is there

anything outside the trigger,

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anything outside the box?

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And monotheism.

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Christianity Judaism Islam say yes.

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That the box is not eternal.

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That there was a timer place when it

was brought into being by our person.

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But secular thought doesn't have that

answer because they don't believe in a

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personal God outside of the universe.

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Now if that's the case.

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Then a couple of things happen.

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First of all, you have a

different ultimate reality.

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Or example, You brought that

terrarium into existence.

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And in this case, like

creation, extra Hilo.

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You did not do that from

preexisting materials.

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But you were able to create both

the materials and the form of that.

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No.

162

And that scenario, you have

kind of two realities, right?

163

Yeah.

164

Have you, and the things that you

have bay, which ones are ultimate.

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MI.

166

Yeah, because you can exist without that.

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Yeah, he can't exist without you.

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There's a contingency.

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It depends upon you.

170

It's not as ultimate.

171

And one day conceivably,

you could do away with it.

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If you chose to.

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Yeah.

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So in that scenario, the

ultimate reality is personal.

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Rational.

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And purposeful.

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But if the box is the

only thing that there is.

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If there is nothing that

transcends the cosmos.

179

Then you don't have that answer.

180

Somehow in this scenario.

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That matter became.

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Formed.

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Into the structure of the

universe that we know now.

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And at some point in time, Some

of that matter and we're using

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matter in the most generic sense.

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So, whatever you call the stuff

of the universe, apart from

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God or the supernatural RO.

188

Okay.

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So somehow that matter.

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Formed until living beings.

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Now I hear sometimes.

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Our atheist friends tell us that they

don't accept anything , without evidence.

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I don't think that's true.

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Because everyone that I

have met has believed that.

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Life arose from non-living matter.

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Why?

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Well, because they don't

believe in any sort of creation.

198

Whether it's guided evolution

or creation instantaneously.

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By necessity.

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They believe that it had to work.

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It's the only option.

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You really have somehow matter arose

from non-living matter, there was no

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purpose because there was no purpose or.

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It just happened.

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And the course you can't prove

that life could come from non-life.

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We have never seen it happened.

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In fact, one of the fundamental

principles of biology is biogenesis.

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The life always comes

for preexisting life.

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That's always the way it has worked.

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Every time we have seen life arise.

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It has been following that principle.

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But if you believe that there is

no living thing outside the cosmos.

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And yet we are alive.

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You have to believe that.

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But think about what that means

then for the uniqueness and

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the value of the living things.

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There's no purpose there.

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So there's no purpose.

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There's no end in mind.

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It's simply came to be.

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Either by blind chance or

the necessity of pre-existing

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conditions, but not by purpose.

223

Therefore, what are humans?

224

They're just the product

of some natural process.

225

Right.

226

I guess.

227

How would you say it?

228

. Under this viewpoint.

229

What's usually.

230

Upheld.

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And really the only thing I've really

seen a pill consistently is this idea.

232

That humans in their present

form exist and are formed by the

233

laws of natural selection alone.

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So we're not just talking about

evolution versus creation.

235

You can be a Christian

and believe in evolution.

236

You just play the God guided that process.

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And that he made sure that

it attained certain NS.

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But you don't have that

option if there is no, God.

239

All you have is unguided

natural selection.

240

So, how are the organisms

of this world formed?

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Only because certain mutations.

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Gave certain members of that species.

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In advantage.

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When it came to reproductive fitness.

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Which usually also implies

getting more food and resources.

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You get more food and resources.

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You're probably going to reproduce more.

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So . Chance mutation that occurred that

helped your subset of this species.

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Get more food or resources.

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It's going to naturally be

selected as occurring more often

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in the next generation until

eventually that whole species.

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Changes and is modified into something.

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Slightly different because of that.

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So the mechanism involved.

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Is simply natural selection alone.

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That's the only game in town.

257

Now in that case, then

what happens is that.

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Humans have evolved only by that process.

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And humans.

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Do not necessarily have any inherent value

261

so can I hop in

262

perhaps at the best would

say that we were created.

263

Versus, somebody coming from a secular

perspective would say, We're not created.

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We're not created beings.

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There's not any intentional creation.

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From a transcendent being.

267

, the next question then is the process of

how humans became humans, either through

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a guided process from The S perspective.

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Versus not.

270

A guided process, natural selection.

271

And so from the theist perspective

then, because there's there's

272

creation from a creator.

273

With a process that somehow guided.

274

There is an inherent purpose and value.

275

But for the secular perspective.

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There's no intentional creation.

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The processes, natural selection.

278

So there's really not

any inherent, inherent.

279

Value.

280

Or purpose maybe beyond the continuing

on the natural selection process.

281

Is that fair?

282

Yeah, for the most part, I think it is.

283

And again, we could ask, why is it.

284

Important for us to carry

on the reproductive process.

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I guess that the answer.

286

I don't know.

287

I haven't thought through,

I mean, just because that's.

288

That's what we're a part of and

that's what we're supposed to do.

289

Yeah, we could say that.

290

I'm not sure how intellectually

satisfying that answer is.

291

Yeah.

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Or.

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Or why our species we should see for the

good of that as opposed to other species.

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Like cockroaches.

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Or mosquitoes.

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They are the result of the same

process so we've been talking a little

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bit about kind of the, the origins

and that kind of thing, but what

298

then what would separate humans from

the cockroaches or the mosquitoes.

299

The usual answer that I

had seen from naturalists.

300

Is.

301

Primarily two things.

302

One we are.

303

Conscious of ourselves in a way

that the other species are not.

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And then second, we have a

higher degree of function.

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We are more intelligent.

306

We can do more things

because of that intelligence.

307

So we functioned at a greater level.

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We're more organized

in our thought process.

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More creative in our thought

process, we can do these things

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that other species can't.

311

Gotcha.

312

How would they, how would they Christian?

313

Or the monotheist answered that question.

314

They would say that we are

able to do those things because

315

we're made in a distinct way.

316

Through her distinct.

317

Process or purpose.

318

Gotcha.

319

The problem with stating.

320

That.

321

Our value is dependent on those

things and not an inherent gift.

322

Well, there's a couple problems with it.

323

First of all, you have a hard time.

324

Stating which species have self-awareness.

325

Maybe cockroach has dealt, but

what about the higher mammals?

326

So it's, it doesn't seem to be

clear, cut and dried in that sense.

327

And the other problem with

self-consciousness as a criteria is

328

Why is that more valuable than the not.

329

That's something we value because

we have that, but that doesn't

330

mean it's inherently valuable.

331

And again, the problem with.

332

Arguing for our value based

upon our functionality.

333

Our intelligence, creativity,

transmission of cultural things we're

334

able to do because of our intelligence.

335

Is because number one, why should

that inherently be more valuable?

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And number two.

337

What you have then is

you have a value system.

338

That puts certain people,

high functioning people.

339

As more valuable by your criteria,

then those who are less intelligent.

340

Hm.

341

Let me give you an example of that.

342

In 1993 philosopher named Peter singer.

343

Made the statement that no newborn

should be considered a person.

344

Until 30 days after birth.

345

And that the attending physician should

kill some disabled babies on the spot.

346

Now we might think that's a crazy radical.

347

Idea that no one else would.

348

Hold or sanction or accept.

349

But in fact, five years later,

he was appointed as professor.

350

Of bioethics at Princeton.

351

Really.

352

How did, how did he arrive

at this, at this Conclusion.

353

Well, he w he wrote this in 1979.

354

Human babies are not born.

355

Self-aware.

356

Or capable of grasping

that they exist over time.

357

They're not persons.

358

Therefore.

359

Life of a newborn is of less

value than the life of a pig.

360

A dog.

361

Or a chimpanzee.

362

So personhood is based on self-awareness.

363

Yes.

364

And so in intelligence, And so those

animals that have more self-awareness than

365

an infant are inherently more valuable.

366

Yes.

367

That's interesting.

368

Right.

369

And I think we can see

the problem with that.

370

Hopefully.

371

It's also really interesting

that the way, I mean, this is.

372

We've kind of been talking a lot about

how all of these are interconnected.

373

So how you think about yes.

374

Uh, humanity and anthropology

is going to affect your ethics.

375

And that's very clear.

376

That, the ethical tip of the iceberg

here has a lot of stuff beneath it.

377

Uh, related to anthropology and

metaphysics and that kind of thing too.

378

Right.

379

Let me give you one more quote

by bertrand Russell, who was A

380

very famous philosopher in atheist.

381

Uh, the previous century.

382

He writes, the man is

the product of causes.

383

Which had no prevision of the

end that they were achieving.

384

And that his origin, his growth, his

hopes and fears, his love and his beliefs.

385

R, but the outcome of accidental

collocations of atoms.

386

And that no fire, no heroism, no

intensity of thought and feeling.

387

Can preserve an individual

life beyond the grave.

388

And that all the labor of the ages, all

the devotion, all the inspiration, all

389

the new name brightness or the human

genius are destined to extinction and

390

the vast death of the solar system.

391

And that the whole tipple of ants

achievement must inevitably be buried

392

beneath the debris of a universe in ruins.

393

All these things, if not

quite beyond dispute.

394

Our yet.

395

So nearly certain that no philosophy

which rejects them can hope to stand.

396

Only within the scaffolding

of these truths.

397

Only on the firm foundation of UN.

398

Yielding despair.

399

Can the soul's habitation.

400

Henceforth be safely built.

401

What's he saying there.

402

Well, he's saying you have to

just come to realize the fact.

403

That if there is no, God.

404

Then.

405

Mankind is here.

406

Pretty much by accident.

407

And that all the he does and achieves

is not going to outlive a certain

408

amount of time, period and so we

have to live in light of those

409

realities that he believes anyway.

410

And what's, what's the, what does he

say is the emotional response to that?

411

That last sentence you mean?

412

Yeah.

413

Only within the scaffolding of

these truths, only on the firm

414

foundation of unyielding despair.

415

Can the soul's habitation

henceforth be safely built.

416

That's so interesting, right?

417

And I think he was more

open and consistent than.

418

A lot of our naturalistic

brothers and sisters.

419

Like Nietzsche.

420

He was able to see that.

421

The denial of gout or the

death of God as he put it.

422

Has serious consequences

for how we view mankind.

423

And a lot of people.

424

Either haven't gotten the memo

or they don't want to read it.

425

And that's so interesting

because I mean, Peter singer.

426

And Bertrand Russell are heavy hitters.

427

Yeah.

428

I mean, this is not taking th

the guy down the street, these are.

429

These are really well-respected.

430

Philosophers.

431

Sure from this atheistic

perspective, they just, like you

432

said, they can connect the dots

433

But that's, that's just fascinating that.

434

The talk of despair that comes as an,

as a logically flowing conclusion to.

435

Denying the existence of guy.

436

Exactly.

437

Cool.

438

So when you we've spent a lot of time on.

439

, what we've called monotheism and

what we've called secularism.

440

Now there are two other big.

441

Families.

442

Cheryl view's there as what

we're calling E Eastern thought

443

or pantheism, and then there's

paganism or what we call polytheism.

444

I'd love to hear you

reflect on the anthropology.

445

You get to choose which one you

want to talk about first though?

446

Well, let's talk about

Eastern thought and, and here.

447

I'm primarily thinking of

classical Hindu thought.

448

Because that I think is

the most influential.

449

, of all the others.

450

Not everyone in the east is going to hold.

451

These viewpoints.

452

Sure.

453

But Hinduism.

454

Is a huge popular religion.

455

And it has developed a certain

coherence of its ideas.

456

And very.

457

impressive way sometimes.

458

In Hinduism.

459

In this hype of Eastern thought.

460

When you talk about mankind.

461

You have to distinguish

very carefully between.

462

, what you called the outman.

463

And then the particular person or form or

animal that you have to be at the time.

464

So the idea is that there

is a living essence.

465

I called it, not mine.

466

That pervades all living things.

467

And at various times it will assume.

468

Different forms like you like your wife,

like your child, but also like your, your

469

pets or pretty much any mammal or other.

470

Animals that you can think of.

471

And the analogy that's that's used.

472

I uh, one of their

sacred writings is that.

473

Just as a person.

474

Whereas closed for certain while and

then takes them off and changes them.

475

So this life force.

476

Takes on your forum for awhile.

477

And the discards that changes

it into different life for.

478

So.

479

It's a very sharp dualism.

480

Between your physical state right now.

481

And this inner.

482

Op Bon within you, this living force.

483

Your body's going to die.

484

But this op Mt is simply

going to take another form.

485

I've grown up in the west.

486

So this is, very new.

487

Yeah.

488

To me.

489

Is it kind of like a soul or a

spirit kind of in Western terms?

490

It is, but less personal.

491

So from what I understand anyway,

they would not view the outbound as.

492

Personally distinct and heavy,

personal will volition and values.

493

, it's more.

494

I don't want to say in personal

life force, but it's more that than

495

what we would say as a soul or a

person or a spirit of a person.

496

Related to that.

497

There's also the belief that.

498

Outmatch is Brotman the idea that.

499

There's not really a distinction

between the art man that is within you.

500

This living forest.

501

And this ultimate one oneness.,

so that's the idea that.

502

Inside of you.

503

There is this spiritual force that

is also identical in some ways.

504

To the spiritual life force

of the entire universe.

505

Your present life is just one.

506

Manifestation of that force

taking on a physical form.

507

Just like you would put on

certain clothes for a day.

508

And then that's done away

with, and it picks up another

509

set of clothes or another.

510

Physical.

511

Uh, manifestation of who it is.

512

Gotcha.

513

To help us understand this.

514

Can you give us a refresher because I feel

like it's pertinent on the metaphysics

515

and especially the idea of Mon ism.

516

Awesome.

517

Right.

518

So Mona's him.

519

Simply means the idea that all is one.

520

The reality is not two things

or multiple divisible things.

521

Reality is all one thing.

522

And in Eastern thought.

523

The divisions that we see in the

world, the positions between you and I

524

habitual between you and other things.

525

Is actually Maya.

526

The word they use best way to translate

that I believe would be in illusion.

527

Okay.

528

So your goal here.

529

And this is pertinent

to anthropology because.

530

We're going to talk about your purpose

of goal, but your goal of your life,

531

is to grow further in understanding.

532

These truths.

533

To find the Enlite to me.

534

Enlightenment being

defined as a knowledge.

535

Of this in the deepest way possible.

536

Thank you.

537

So, then maybe the question,

the other question, we talk about

538

human uniqueness and human value.

539

So it sounds to me.

540

Like if.

541

We are all God.

542

Not in the sense that we're all

gods, but there's a Mon ism.

543

All his wine, then there's

a high value to human life.

544

You would think that,

545

But when Western people really

started engaging with the cultures

546

of these in particular India, they.

547

Couldn't help concluding that

they felt life was cheap.

548

There.

549

Really.

550

And I think we can

follow the logic of this.

551

So in again, in Western mild theistic

religions, human life is unique

552

and valuable because it alone.

553

Is a manifestation of the

partnership of God within this world.

554

Right?

555

But that's not true.

556

In, Hinduism.

557

In Hinduism.

558

There is no clear cut distinction between

humans and other types of, of life.

559

In particular, the higher mammals.

560

Hmm.

561

Uh, human is more.

562

Aware of these truths.

563

Then an animal.

564

In enlightened human and

humans have higher CAS.

565

Have that to a greater degree.

566

And the cast is something you're born into

just like you're born into species of.

567

living things

568

so what happens then?

569

You would think, okay.

570

That elevates all living things.

571

And that's why hindus

are primarily vegetarian.

572

And they all avoid eating beef.

573

Because they've you.

574

Cows, especially as

having great spiritual.

575

Significance.

576

Yeah., If you believe that all

life we're, all mammals are all.

577

Living beans that you could eat at least.

578

All are somewhere on the same spectrum.

579

They all have the same.

580

Spirit of outman within them.

581

They're just manifestations

of it at a time.

582

Just like we are.

583

Well that elevates them.

584

But at the same time, it levels humanity

to be in the same thing as them.

585

In terms of their value and uniqueness.

586

Or at least that seems to be

the tendency to some degree.

587

That's really fascinating.

588

Yeah.

589

And again, I'm oversimplifying because

we've just got a few minutes here.

590

But that is the conclusion that people who

began to study., the value of human life.

591

That was the conclusion they came to.

592

Yeah, that's helpful.

593

And of course.

594

A lot of variants in Eastern

thought and pantheism.

595

You're talking a lot about Hinduism

because it influenced a lot of

596

the others, but in that category,

We've got Buddhism and towers.

597

I'm an even more recently showing

up in the west, this new age.

598

Philosophy.

599

Right.

600

I should hasten to say that.

601

Hinduism has divisions in this thought

just like other religions do so.

602

Not every Hindu, even with

believe what I just said, but

603

that seems to be the classical

teaching of the mainstream techs.

604

Yeah.

605

And that's good.

606

There's a lot of variants and belief

in all of these, even, even in, even

607

in , the species of Christianity.

608

Yes.

609

Yeah.

610

It's not our goal to, oversimplify

in order to strongman it's,

611

we're oversimplifying out

of necessity here because.

612

Time is limited, right.

613

Because we're trying to

understand these as philosophies.

614

Yeah.

615

And they're most basic element,

not simply what individuals or

616

groups within that do or think.

617

Yeah.

618

And because of that.

619

We're looking at the very broad picture.

620

Cool.

621

Cool.

622

So just a few minutes left.

623

Paganism, which again is not pejorative.

624

, but just the idea that maybe

there are lots of gods.

625

But that they're not.

626

Transcendent.

627

And of course are examples of this.

628

A lot of these.

629

Ancient religions, like the Greek

thought with the Pantheon and.

630

The Norse gods and the Egyptian gods.

631

And.

632

These are all examples of

paganism, ., will you share a

633

little bit about In general terms.

634

Sure.

635

What's the perspective of humanity.

636

From this polytheistic kind

of pagan histic perspective.

637

Right.

638

And again, paganism is simply a term

that originally I met someone from.

639

The rural areas, something, the

Romans used that term to distinguish

640

them from themselves who were

moving into a little bit more

641

sophisticated worldview and philosophy.

642

So polytheism.

643

Is associated with the belief that there's

a multitude of gods within the universe.

644

Where does that leave humanity?

645

Paganism.

646

I don't think he has a very

clear answer to that about the

647

value or the uniqueness of human.

648

You have all kinds of different myths.

649

You have the MIS of bands

creation by the gods.

650

in, and of course, Greece.

651

A little bit familiar

with that, all the other.

652

Pegging in six societies, whether

in Canaan or Babylon they also had.

653

Miss that kind of told the story

of how mankind got created.

654

And very often.

655

In the older religions, especially.

656

Mankind was created to serve the gods.

657

And it seems like.

658

And there.

659

Earliest stages.

660

They believe this was quite literal,

that when you were bringing.

661

Food to the temple.

662

You were actually feeding

the gods in a physical way.

663

Hmm.

664

Of course that a belief.

665

Would it be various over time?

666

But there wasn't a consistent answer.

667

At least I don't think there's a

consistent answer to what makes humans.

668

Unique and valuable.

669

There's a lot of, a lot

of variants and all.

670

But especially this one, it sounds like.

671

That would be, I would be curious,

learning more about, especially some of

672

these that are showing up more in the.

673

The west, like, WCA.

674

I would curious if somebody wants

to leave a comment, maybe they have

675

some insight onto the, into the,

676

Anthropology.

677

That particular religion.

678

Yeah.

679

Interesting.

680

Are we too.

681

Well, thank you so much.

682

Is there anything else that you want

to share before we close up here?

683

Yeah, let's go back in light

of all this and come back to.

684

Human uniqueness and value.

685

According to monotheistic, religion.

686

In a particular Christianity.

687

Because that's what I'm here

to be most familiar with.

688

What makes us unique again, we

are created in the image of God.

689

We are created.

690

I think the best way to phrase that.

691

As the image of God.

692

That word image is a word that you

would normally use for idols in

693

other places in scripture.

694

The physical manifestation.

695

Of an invisible.

696

Person within this world.

697

The sense.

698

That's what we humans are.

699

We are.

700

Made in God's likeness.

701

So we have not physically.

702

Okay.

703

I have to.

704

I have a body.

705

He's not beta matter.

706

He made matter.

707

So we are like, uh, not physically,

but in the sense that we function.

708

Like him and it has certain

characteristics like him.

709

Rational thought.

710

Free will.

711

Purposeful planning.

712

After our communication.

713

Deep emotions.

714

We are like him in that way.

715

So that within this world, we can.

716

has his partners and his image.

717

When I come to the question

of what makes humans unique.

718

Unique.

719

I thought about this for a

long time, many, many decades.

720

I used to think it was one

certain characteristic, you know?

721

We could use tools.

722

We could.

723

I use language.

724

Those are all clues to something.

725

I think that's that's much deeper.

726

I think we as humans.

727

Live.

728

In a fundamentally different way.

729

In relationship to this world

than every other species.

730

Hmm.

731

I think fundamentally when you think

of it this way, There's more difference

732

between us and a chimpanzee than there

is between a chimpanzee and a snail.

733

Say say more.

734

Well, Other species for the most part.

735

Take this world as it is.

736

And what I mean by that is.

737

They respond to the world in

terms of their needs and desires.

738

But they do not conceptualize

a world that is not here.

739

But one that could be here.

740

Hmm, they don't conceptualize a reality.

741

That they would regard as favorable,

better, more, just more beautiful.

742

And then work towards that

using shared communication and

743

abstract reasoning, but we do.

744

Hm.

745

Or we should.

746

Yeah, that's our function.

747

There are obviously some animals

who changed their environments.

748

You know, birds build nests.

749

That's changing your environment.

750

Beavers build dams.

751

But that seems to be instinctual.

752

In them, it's not in the sense

of purposeful, they're all

753

going to do the same thing.

754

Pretty much in the same way.

755

Cuban the similar environments.

756

That seems to be just

hardwired into their in-state.

757

Whereas with us.

758

We're not just problem solving.

759

We are conceptualizing something

that's not here, but should be here.

760

And whether that's a house.

761

Or whether that's adjust society.

762

We do that in a way that

no other species does.

763

That's super fascinating.

764

That's what I think.

765

Is the heart of human

uniqueness and therefore.

766

Along with that human value.

767

Wow.

768

And that seems to go all

the way back to Genesis one.

769

It does.

770

Genesis one is a profiled.

771

Philosophical texts,

at least in my opinion.

772

Yeah.

773

God puts.

774

Adam and Eve in the garden

and says care for it.

775

Right.

776

Expand it.

777

Make it beautiful, produced fruit.

778

You know, Exactly.

779

There's an innate purpose given by God.

780

Spoken.

781

Over humans and to humans.

782

By a loving creative God.

783

That they participate

in his creative work.

784

And so he's given them that vision to

realize what he started in the beginning.

785

And then it's interesting that.

786

And the, and the scriptures in revelation.

787

You see the fulfillment of that?

788

But there's again, the garden scene.

789

I think humans fulfilling

their purpose of.

790

cultivating the garden.

791

Yeah.

792

And I'm glad you brought that out.

793

Isn't it interesting that right after

this creation and commission of mankind?

794

There are farmers.

795

They're gardeners.

796

I've had the privilege of moving into

houses that had nothing in terms of

797

garden or landscaping at all in the back.

798

And both cases, it was either just bear

grass, no trees, no bushes, no flowers.

799

Or it was just a patch of weeds.

800

And I was able to conceptualize

in my mind and even on paper.

801

A different reality.

802

And I was able to partner with.

803

The one who I believe made

the earth and made the soil.

804

And made the potentiality and the seeds.

805

That I would plan.

806

I was able to partner with that person.

807

In making that a fundamentally

different place than it was before.

808

I believe that's a metaphor for.

809

Our purpose in life in general.

810

That we are to see not only what is and

respond to it, according to our desires.

811

But what could be, what should be.

812

And work according to what gifts

we have to make that happen.

813

I believe that's our purpose in

each person has to figure out.

814

In their own life, how that works out.

815

But that's the basis.

816

Wow.

817

That's beautiful.

818

Thank you, palling.

819

So thank you for sharing that.

820

Well, that's where I'm at

and I hope I am able to.

821

Convince a few people, at least then.

822

This is a unique and valuable

way of understanding humanity.

823

Yeah.

824

Well, it sounds like a

good thing to end on.

825

So, thank you so much for your time.

826

And uh, until next time.

827

Yeah.

828

Sounds good.

829

Thanks.

830

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831

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832

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833

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834

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