re: "Humans Are Animals. Let’s Get Over It." (The New York Times, February 23, 2021)
You are distinct from me. I'm distinct from my brothers. You are also distinct from the dogs on my street, and I'm distinct from the rats scurrying the garbage kindly dispensed to them by the good citizens of Bangkok. The rats are also distinct from the cockroaches who thrive equally well in the human provided environment.
And in these days of Covid, it's worth bearing firmly in mind that not only are we related to our human relatives, to Aunty Clarice and Sister Ces, and all the rest, but that we also share a common ancestors with the dogs and rats, and bit further back a common ancestor with the cockroaches, and beyond that we share a common ancestor with the carrots on the supermarket shelves, and further back still, we mortal human animals share a common ancestor with the Covid-19 virus that has found our bodies so very useful for reproducing itself with stunning success.
Our relatives have much to teach us about our place in the scheme of things.
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The above comment was submitted by Felix Qui to The New York Times article.
It is published there at https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/opinion/humans-animals-philosophy.html#commentsContainer&permid=111720113:111720113
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