L1: Human Exceptionalism

Question 1

What is the basic principle of seeing humanity as a “condition”? (1)

Answer 1

Anthropologists and philosophers arguing that there is a fundamental difference that binds every human and sets them apart from all animals (1)

Question 2

What is an example of quirky variations of “humans”? (1)

Give the year (1)

Answer 2

Anthropomorpha Hoppius (1)

1760 (1)

Question 3

What did Lord Monboddo believe about Orang-utans in the 18th century? (2)

Answer 3

He believed that they were of the human species (1)

Lacked the distinctly human capacity of language (1)

Question 4

What did 19th-century social theorist Herbert Spencer say about society? (2)

Answer 4

Society is additive (1)

Society is comprised of lots of things living together (1)

Question 5

What are the two ways that anthropologists have been interested in other species? (2)

Answer 5

• As material resources (1)
• As “good to think with” (1)

Question 6

What does thinking about nonhuman species as material resources mean? (3)

Answer 6

• Humans need other species to live (1)
• We use nonhumans for food, clothes, and other resources (1)
• We procure a livelihood from others (1)

Question 7

What does it mean to think of nonhumans as “good to think with”? (2)

Answer 7

• Humans have IDEAS about animals (1)
• Animals have symbolic value as humans use other species to represent ideas (1)

Question 8

What are some critiques about human exceptionalism? (3)

Answer 8

• Human exceptionalism implies and assumes that we think other cultures are wrong and ficticious (1)
• Do we think other species are stupid? Hunters know that this is not the case at all (1)
• When did humanity as a distinct condition emerge out of animality? (1)

Question 9

What does it mean to say that species difference is symmetrical? (1)

Answer 9

There are various differences between species but none are exceptional (1)

Question 10

What does Durkheim’s concept of Homo duplex mean? (2)

Answer 10

• There is the nature and the culture side of being human (1)
• Social sciences focus on the social person (1)

Question 11

Who’s views were the most dominant in 20th century anthropology? (1)

Answer 11

Durkheim (1)

Question 12

What did British anthropologist and biologist Gregory Bateson say about organisms and environments? (3)

Answer 12

An organism and environment are an indivisible unit (1)

An organism is always in an environment (1)

Organisms are shaped by its environment and in turn, shape its environment (1)