The ideas of “humanity” and humanism-what makes humans humane-vastly differ for different fields of study: biology-is humanity physical?-, sociology-is humanity learned?-, and psychology-is humanity mental? But perhaps “humanity” is none of these. Perhaps “humanity” is of the heart, not the mind, based on love, not on appearance, given to us at birth, not taught by others. As my father once said to me, “Obviously we are born human.” But just what is “humanity” really? Let the rediscovery of “humanity” begin.

From a biologist’s viewpoint, “humanity” is defined by the differences between animal and human physiques. To a biologist, the way the human mind works does not affect whether or not we differ from animals, but the way our brain works, does. The dictionary defines the “mind” as the center of thought, feeling, intellect, sanity, opinion, or intention, whereas the brain is a “mass of nerve tissue in the head.” To a biologist, our reptilian and mammalian complexes are what determine our similarities and differences from animals; our mammalian complex allows for the ability to comprehend language, abstraction, planning, and perception, thus proving humans as different from animals. But the human brain is also capable of animalistic thought processing. The reptilian complex appeals to our will to survive as a species; the fight or flight responses serve as good examples of this complex because they exhibit the reactions of the body in response to reptilian brain activity. A biologist will also study the bone and muscle structures of animals and humans, comparing the similarities and differences between humans and animals physically. The differing bodily structures are greatly influential in the discovery of “humanity;” for example, biologists believe in a strong similarity between humans and primates because of both species’ ability to walk on only two feet, and even apes cannot continue this difficult feat as long as we can. This couldn’t possibly be the end of the line for determining if humans are equal to animals though, because if it was, we could all just be an extremely talented species of gorilla. So what defines us as “human?”

Psychologists believe that how the mind works is what categorizes us as “human.” The true denotation of psychology is “science dealing with the mind and behavior;” upon close examination, a psychologist discovers the complexities of the mind rather than those of the brain. The brain is, in a way, the more concrete of the two; a clump of nerves in an animal’s head, whereas the mind is more abstract; the mind is what the brain does. The mind is the center of deeper meaning. The mind is the center of intellect and opinion. The mind evokes explanation and reasoning for our actions. The impact of the mind on “humanity” is even greater than that of the brain itself because it allows for intellectual thought and search for deeper meaning. Humans are gifted with the capacity to question their surroundings and to recognize symbols within their environment. They have an aptitude to learn. Animals do not understand what the American flag symbolizes, and contrary to what some people believe, a dog will never learn the definition of the word “sit.” Although the mind is a significant contribution to the discovery of “humanity,” it is not what defines us as “human” because if it was, any person sharing the naivety of his animalistic brethren would not be included into the human species.
Sociologists and psychologists share very similar areas of study, but sociologists concentrate more solely on society’s role in “humanity” than on the individual human itself. What is learned from society can alter drastically the behaviors of an individual. Abandoned children who have never experienced the world often show animalistic behaviors such as growling, walking on “all fours,” and sniffing or tasting the objects around them as a dog might. Without any contact with the world and other humans, these children seem to have never learned how to be human. Which begs the question; are people born human, or is “humanity” learned? When deprived of the opportunity to experience relationships with other people, an abandoned child is prone to the commands of the reptilian brain, her instincts of survival are dominant to her mammalian complex and her mind is not functioning humanly. She hasn’t any morality because she knows not how to feel but rather only how to survive; she has the mind of an animal and therefore is one.

“Humanity” is not of the mind. It is not physical. It is not taught. Humanity is defined by the heart; the center of love and sympathy, understanding and empathy. As humans, we have the ability to think with our hearts as well as our minds and while the mind may allow for a higher level of thought process, taking us above and beyond the simple-minded dog, it is not the center of our morality which is what truly makes us “human.” Our physicality greatly contrasts with that of any animal, but what separates us as a species from other mammals is our capacity to differentiate morality from immorality and to feel regret or guilt after we have done something wrong. “Humanity” will feel sympathy over another of its kind who is struggling or starving. The humane feel guilt and shame after harming others. Animals on the other hand, are controlled by their reptilian brains and are incapable of feeling guilt over stealing another animal’s food or from killing another animal to survive. While sociologists make a good point that “humanity” may be learned, this cannot be true. Although a newborn cannot grasp the concept of love, she is still able to recognize her mother’s affectionate voice and loving caress. The baby smiles at her mother’s voice and coos when her mother holds her safely in her arms. These responses are the newborn’s way of expressing her love to her mother, whether consciously or subconsciously, the child is able to return her mother’s love with the simple upturning of her lips, or the high-pitched squeal of a coo; these actions signify contentment and appreciation for all her mother does for her, thus showing her love for her mother and proving that even as a newborn, she too, can be defined as “human.”
“Humanity” like a diamond, has many facets. Some may define it by the way we walk, or our capacity to think; some may say it is learned. Any way we choose to look at it, we can all find some comfort in believing that what defines us as being “human” is not our miraculous ability to walk on two feet, or our aptitude to learn, but our capacity to feel; to empathize with our own kind and recognize the choices we have between good and bad, and the opportunities we are given to do what is right. Let us relish in our competence to think with our minds and not our brains; let us bask in our ability to love with our hearts.
Let us celebrate our humanity.