THREE VIEWS OF NATURE: HOW DESCRIPTION BECOMES PRESCRIPTION
Take the Emotional View: Yes, it is possible to describe the resemblance of animal behaviour to human behaviour. We can compare how a mother chimpanzee cuddles and breast feeds a bay chimp to what a human mother does. We can note how whales call and reply to each other like members of a human team working together. In the world of animals there are an enormous number of such comparisons to be made with human behaviour.
Or the Biological View: Yes: it is possible to describe, in terms of Evolutionary Theory, that we are closely related to chimpanzees. We are told, for example, that chimps and humans have 98.8 % of their DNA in common.
Two forms of ape?
And then the Mechanical View: Yes: it is possible to describe both animals and humans in terms of chemistry, physics and machine-
Galvani Volta
But whichever of these views we take of describing humans, animals and their relationship; these view are just that: descriptive. If we decide to go further and choose one of them because we believe that it is right, correct, or ethical; then we are being prescriptive and are taking on a set of beliefs and values: just like the characteristics of a religion. We could give this religion many names, but which ever one we chose, it would be a belief that humans are defined and subject to something greater that comes from outside our humanity. The most common form of this is a belief in NATURE. (See more . . . )