“To be a machine, to feel, to think, to know how to distinguish good from evil, as well as blue from yellow, in a word, to be born with intelligence and a sure moral instinct, and to be only an animal, are therefore no more contradictory than to be an ape or a parrot and to be able to feel pleasure and pain.”
What this quote means
This bold quote by La Mettrie asserts that humans, though machines, possess the capacities to feel, think, and judge without contradiction with their animal nature. It challenges the traditional distinction between humans and animals, suggesting that intelligence and morality are not exclusively human privileges. It invites us to reconsider our place in the natural world and acknowledge our continuity with other species, while celebrating the complexity of our faculties.
How to apply it daily
Tonight, reflect on an animal behavior that seems 'human' and write a short paragraph on what it reveals about our own nature.
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