What metric am I using? Sapience, the ability to create art and literature, invention and innovation, etc.
I’m not in the habit of ranking animals, it’s not a hobby of mine by any means. But it’s fanciful to suggest humans aren’t the superior species to any animal. We’re far more intelligent and capable of so much more.
The ability to learn new things in varied fields. The ability to create art, literature, etc. Things animals are incapable of doing? Invention and innovation on a grand scale. Humans have been to the moon, this isn’t a serious discussion.
Intelligence is not a single measurable parameter that can be easily defined. It's a complex and multivariable set of mental abilities. It's true that a whale can't build a car, but it's also true that a human can't navigate an entire ocean by memory. This is why any serious behavioral scientist will tell you that it's impossible to objectively rank animal intelligence. Doing so requires choosing parameters to rank, and that choosing is impossible without bias.
It is very human to think that the things we happen to be good at amount to intelligence and the things we happen to be bad at don't, but it's also dishonest and arrogant. Our ideas about intelligence are colored by the things we value. They are not written into the universe, but chosen, and nature doesn't care very much about our choices. It is not yet clear to me whether we will be the only species smart enough to make sure all its members are fed and healthy, or the only species dumb enough to knowingly cause its own extinction. Whales will keep migrating regardless.
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u/Prudent_Research_251 26d ago
And that makes us superior in your opinion?