Man the laughing animal
Sunday, 2011-October-2
Ich fürchte, die Tiere betrachten den Menschen als ein Wesen Ihresgleichen, das in höchst gefährlicher Weise den gesunden Tierverstand verloren hat, — als das wahnwitzige Tier, als das lachende Tier, als das weinende Tier, als das unglückselige Tier.
(Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science)
Well, ever since Aristotle who claimed that man is the only animal that can laugh we thought it to be a unique human trait. So now, when my mom told me today on the phone that there were experiments being made to show that animals can laugh too, I can ask myself: Does that make me as a human being less since the difference between man and animal seems to be getting smaller or the animal more? My emotional reactions tends towards the second notion I notice. I always thought rats are very human …
Doesn`t it make us so much more responsible towards our fellow creatures and to take care of them the way the stronger should of the weaker?
