Humanize From Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism
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Human Exceptionalism

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Mosquitos floating in the water, suitable for nature and pest control concepts
Image Credit: Ева Поликарпова - Adobe Stock

“Rights of Nature Tribunal” Seeks to “End Fossil Fuel Era”

The nature-rights movement continues to advance, and that’s bad for human thriving. Now, a “tribunal” will be held in New York — coinciding with Climate Week NYC 2024 — to promote the rights of nature and undermine public support for fossil fuels. The tribunal’s website is typical of the anti-humanism that permeates the nature-rights movement. For example, the fundamental philosophy of nature rights — as elucidated at the website, is “that the interests of nonhuman beings are of equal importance to human interests.” So, pond scum, mosquitoes, trees, squirrels, grass, and scallops are equal to us. That’s self-loathing any way you look at it. Worse, adopting such a misanthropic approach to environmentalism would have serious consequences to human thriving. For example, forget about heating Read More ›

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african american gardener looking at freshly picked from the ground golden beets at community communal garden

Again with the ‘Plants Are Intelligent’ Nonsense

Periodically, the mainstream media focus on advocacy for the idea that plants are intelligent and/or moral beings. For example, the New York Times ran a column some years back asserting that peas are persons. Why? Pea plants release chemicals in the soil that alert other pea plants of drought conditions. Read More ›
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Chimpanzee - Uganda

Why Does the Proposal for Chimp–Human Hybrids Keep Coming Back?

A few days ago, Templeton Foundation's mailer for its online magazine Nautilus pointed to a five-year-old article by University of Washington psychology prof (emeritus) David P. Barash, advocating the creation of a humanzee: “Doing so would be a terrific idea.” Read More ›
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young couple sitting at a table on a desert dune while talking, relaxing and observing the stars and the milky way above them

Asking Questions Demonstrates Human Exceptionalism

One of the unique attributes of humans is that we ask questions. Not just straightforward questions, like “What’s for dinner?” but deep questions, like “What is the meaning of life?”  Read More ›
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Definition of word euthanasia in dictionary

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Anti-Suicide Walk Ignores Assisted Suicide

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is holding an overnight walk in Washington, D.C., on June 3 to fight suicide. From the “Why We Walk” promotion for “Out of the Darkness“: As you walk over 16 miles from dusk till dawn, you’ll find support and understanding in a community of others affected by suicide. Together, we will help put a stop to this leading cause of death. That’s great. But do the ads or promotional material even mention that Washington, D.C., legalized assisted suicide several years ago? Do they mention that people who ask for assisted suicide are almost never offered suicide prevention? And do they mention that studies are now showing a connection between assisted-suicide legalization and increasing suicide rates generally? Do the Read More ›

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Top view of couple holding their hands

Prof: We Shouldn’t Necessarily Value Humans Over Other Animals

New York University environmentalism prof Jeff Sebo, co-author of Chimpanzee Rights (2018), sees human exceptionalism (the idea that there is something unique about human beings) as a danger to humans and other life forms. He does not think that we should necessarily prioritize humans over animals: Read More ›
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Working on laptop computer

Donna Rice Hughes Warns about Obscenity Crisis

I have launched a new podcast through the Discovery Institute called Humanize — “where human rights meet human responsibilities” — in which I converse with thinkers and activists about issues germane to human dignity and our moral duties to each other, animals, and the environment. Read More ›
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Ibram X. Kendi (American University) June 16, 2017
Ibram X. Kendi (American University) delivers the Friday plenary luncheon address, a presentation about his book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
Photo by Mike Ferguson/AAUP (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Kendi: Election of Obama Harmful to Racial Equity

Ibram X. Kendi is the intellectual leader of the new “anti-racist” movement. Don’t let the name fool you. Anti-racist does not really want to end the great evil, but redirect racial distinctions and wield them invidiously against people not of color. As Kendi has written, “The only remedy to racial discrimination is antiracist discrimination.” Swell. Read More ›