Reference no: EM133327833

Assignment:

Professor Robert Sapolsky lays out some of the unique characteristics of humans as an off the rack mammal. It appears that our large brains, opposable thumbs, and penchant for cooperation and building culture are the bases for our position in the world. During recent decades more in depth study of animal behavior has revealed that other traits once thought to be signal characteristics of humans are also found in other animals, if only in rudimentary form. At the end of his Class Day Lecture he offers what he believes makes humans truly unique as animals. Citing the example of Sister Prejean, who worked for years with inmates on death row, he expresses this as "gaining the strength and will to do X from the irrefutable evidence that X cannot be". In other words, it is our ability to hold a contradiction in our minds and yet be committed to accomplishing what cannot be done. Certainly, some of the extraordinary examples of pure altruism we've read about might fall into this category.

a) Provide another example of human activity that embodies this seemingly paradoxical pursuit of commitment to the unattainable.

b) Given the illogical nature of holding such contradictions, do you think these pursuits in general align with objective morality? Explain your answer.