Figs in Winter
1 min readApr 9, 2020

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Hermes, I actually disagree with several of your examples, for the reasons I explained in the article. One can almost always find obvious antecedents, or simpler forms, of human traits in other species. And even if we currently think there are traits with no antecedents, the empirical evidence may soon prove us wrong. It’s a futile battle, though, because even if *every* human trait has roots in our evolutionary past, it is still true that humans are unique by virtue of expressing such traits in ways that are not even remotely approach by any other species on Earth. That’s enough to reasonably establish human uniqueness.

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Figs in Winter
Figs in Winter

Written by Figs in Winter

by Massimo Pigliucci, a scientist, philosopher, and Professor at the City College of New York. Exploring and practicing Stoicism & other philosophies of life.

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