I think it’s pretty obvious that humanity is a culture, and it’s not a very good one. I’m otherkin; I don’t identify as human. I wouldn’t want to be a human, because humanity as a construct is used to justify so much evil. When people wanted to do the slave trade or the holocaust or colonisation, they did it by stripping humanity from these groups. Because human culture says it’s acceptable to treat nonhumans this way. And that’s why I want nothing to do with such a toxic construct. I’m not interested in appealing to colonial values.
Well I don’t think that’s inherent to humanity or humanism. I agree though that humanity isn’t a value in of itself, because if we accept that it is, stripping someone of that humanity is enough to denigrate and mistreat them. I also see the colonialist baggage that humanist philosophy continues to carry to this day. If we’d ever manage to establish contact with nonhumans, I’d definitely be on the lookout for anyone who suddenly starts talking about progressivism and “humanist values”.
I think it’s pretty obvious that humanity is a culture, and it’s not a very good one. I’m otherkin; I don’t identify as human. I wouldn’t want to be a human, because humanity as a construct is used to justify so much evil. When people wanted to do the slave trade or the holocaust or colonisation, they did it by stripping humanity from these groups. Because human culture says it’s acceptable to treat nonhumans this way. And that’s why I want nothing to do with such a toxic construct. I’m not interested in appealing to colonial values.
Well I don’t think that’s inherent to humanity or humanism. I agree though that humanity isn’t a value in of itself, because if we accept that it is, stripping someone of that humanity is enough to denigrate and mistreat them. I also see the colonialist baggage that humanist philosophy continues to carry to this day. If we’d ever manage to establish contact with nonhumans, I’d definitely be on the lookout for anyone who suddenly starts talking about progressivism and “humanist values”.
Good news! We already made contact with intelligent nonhuman life. I’m one of them https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otherkin