The Human Race

The Human Race

Definition of ManHow he differs from other AnimalsOrigin of ManIn what parts of the Earth did he first appear?Unity of Mankind, evidence in supportWhat is understood by species in Natural HistoryMan forms but one species, with its varieties or kindsClassification of the Human Race. What is man? A profound thinker, Cardinal de Bonald, has said: Man is an intelligence assisted by organs. We would fain adopt this definition, which brings into relief the true attribute of man, intelligence, were it not defective in drawing no sufficient distinction between man and the brute. It is a fact that animals are intelligent and that their intelligence is assisted by organs. But their intelligence is infinitely inferior to that of man. It does not extend beyond the necessities of attack and defence, the power of seeking food, and a small number of affections or passions, whose very limited scope merely extends to material wants. With man, on the other hand, intelligence is of a high order, although its range is limited, and it is often arrested, powerless and mute, before the problems itself proposes. In bodily formation, man is an animal, he lives in a material envelope, of which the structure is that of the Mammalia; but he far surpasses the animal in the extent of his intellectual faculties. The definition of man must therefore establish this relation which animals bear to ourselves, and indicate, if possible, the degree which separates them. For this reason we shall define man: an organized, intelligent being, endowed with the faculty of abstraction. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 41849
Author: Figuier, Louis
Release Date: Jan 15, 2013
Format: eBook
Language: English