What Makes Us Humans?

In attempting to reveal insight upon the first part of this two-fold question, one must first discern the meaning of human nature. According to the authoritative opinion of The Random House College Dictionary human nature is defined as; "the psychological and social qualities that characterize mankind." In assessing the psychological and social qualities of mankind, it was easy to find oneself consumed within the vastness of characteristical qualities for which humanity has been endowed. These qualities range from ignorance to knowledge; grief to joy; from incontinence to self-restraint; lust to perseverance; injustice to

1984 examines a future under the rule of a totalitarian society. One of the unique notes about Orwell's 1984, is the views that Orwell presents on humanity, and human nature. Orwell presents humanity as divided into two sides- the dominant, and the submissive, with few quickly-eradicated anomalies in between. Human nature, however, is universal, and all humans

1984 is a cautionary tale that follows Winston through the cruel world he lives in. To give a bit of background, the novel was published on June 8th, 1949, only about two years into the start of the cold war. The “horror” of communism was rampant during this time, and George Orwell wanted to show what could happen if a government had so much control over the people of their country. He wanted people to understand that governments should not be able to dehumanize people, otherwise the people living there aren’t technically human. Orwell wanted people to know how to stay human, they just have to have a personality, and to hold onto your own opinions. According to George Orwell, it doesn’t take a lot to be human, but the few things it does take are so important, that if we were to let them go, our worlds would fall apart. George Orwell wants his readers to understand and hold on to the things that are important to us, the ones we love, the things we do, the people we are, because those are the things that truly make us

George Orwell uses his novel 1984 to convey that human beings, as a species, are extremely susceptible to dehumanization and oppression in society. Orwell demonstrates how a government’s manipulation of technology, language, media, and history can oppress and degrade its citizens.

Nature is the phenomena of the physical world including collective features of the Earth’s products. With advancements in technology, today’s civilization has taken a step away from nature’s pure beauties. In George Orwell’s novel 1984, London is portrayed as a city where authorities have immensely invested in technology for surveillance purposes as well as other communicative purposes. The city holds a level of sophistication in scientific advancement that indicates the level of confined human liberty within such cities and other modernized civilizations across the globe. Such pedigree of progress in surveillance has remained a contributor to human populations tuning to nature in the time they need a respite from the highly surveyed city life (Orwell 22). There are many examples of significance of nature to human liberty concerning Orwell’s novel. Winston and Julia portray this idea in their time spent beyond the city. Different elements of nature are highlighted as part of philosophy that has helped transform the human perception of the life they live either as oppressed or as liberal. Different dimensions of life both in the city and in nature are explained through Orwell’s novel such as utopia and dystopian reflections. Connections between nature and human liberty are portrayed as a conception of freedom.

“1984 expresses man’s fears of isolation and disintegration, cruelty and dehumanisation…Orwell’s repetition of obsessive ideas is an apocalyptic lamentation for the fate of modern man. His expression of the political experience of an entire generation gives 1984 a veritably mythic power

What makes us human? What makes us human is our curiosity and constant evolution. What makes us human is the ability to create social categories and to form opinions. Abstract emotions including love, thought and creativity are what make us human. In 1984, George Orwell uses his dystopia to show that if we were to abolish these abstract emotions we would cease to be human and become the simple primates we once were; surviving for the sake of survival.

I feel that each response has hit on key factors of what society, religion, and science classify as "human". For example, DNA ties us all together, and is something that we all have in common (whether we like it or not). As a species, humans all look relatively similar, yet none of us look or act exactly the same. Our brains are incredible! We can process abstract thoughts, solve

into the society George Orwell creates in 1984. Although that may seem true, the arguement that

In general, the ability to think freely, have a variety of emotions, and express ourselves makes us human. In both “1984,” and often in our own society, these aspects of humanity are destroyed.

What makes us human? This question has been asked over and over by many scholars and people alike to try to identify us as one. Many people have sat, stood, even laid down trying to understand what the answer to this question is. I may not know the exact answer but I do have a theory. I think the thing that makes us human is our differences and the understanding that no matter our differences we are all still the same animal.

Odysseus and Penelope are the best two example of what it really means to be human because of their great courage to overcome all obstacles for a greater cause. There is not one true definition on what it means to be human, but the most knowledgeable definition of “human” is to be created in the image of God. The attributes that really set humans apart from all the other animals on earth are imagination, reason, and will. These three human faculties make us who we are because we have the ability to counter plate our own mortality. Dr. Davis stated, “You cannot love another person without imagination” You have to first realize what their desires are and what they want in life. The most critical aspect of

Humans have subjugated the world, populating almost every continent. Homo sapiens have risen to an overpowering, dominant level. But why us? What gave Homo sapiens such an advantage? Homo sapiens are special in a cognitive sense, and the only major evolutionary advantage they have been given is able brains. Humans are intellectually driven- we want to learn things. They have more inventive ability than any other living creature. They enjoy expression and explaining things to those around us. In fact, Homo sapiens think so big and so inventively that human bodies have had to change to fit their ability to think and to create. Humans have learned so much over the course of our 200,000 year existence, and we continue to strive for knowledge.

What makes us unique? What makes us human? These are complex questions to which humans have struggled to find an adequate answer, even after the course of hundreds of years. I personally believe there are many reasons and factors as to why humans today are in control of the planet, with the most defining feature of our species being collective learning, empowered by the creation of symbolic language.

Where there is humanity, there is logical thinking and individualism. I believe that this is what separates human beings from animal species. Each