Human Evolution and the Uniqueness of Logos

Posted on Mar 21, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics

The Nature of Knowledge

The possibility of knowledge is subject to debate. There are six major types of responses:

  1. Dogmatism: The belief that certain knowledge is attainable.
  2. Skepticism: The belief that it is impossible to acquire reliable knowledge, as there is never enough evidence to consider something true.
  3. Subjectivism and Relativism:
    • Subjectivism: What is true depends on each individual.
    • Relativism: What is considered true or false depends on the culture, time, or group.
  4. Pragmatism: Identifies truth with usefulness.
  5. Criticism: An attitude between dogmatism and skepticism. True knowledge can be obtained, but it requires critical examination. There are two types:
    • Kantian Criticism: Critical reasoning.
    • Critical Rationalism: All knowledge is fallible. Representatives include Karl Popper and Hans Albert.
  6. Perspectivism: Proposed by José Ortega y Gasset, this view suggests that reality can be viewed from different perspectives, and the truth is obtained by combining these perspectives.

Human Origins

Thomas Huxley, Charles Darwin, and Ernst Haeckel proposed that humans originated as a result of the evolution of anthropoid animals. Orangutans, chimpanzees, and other great apes are similar to hominids. The hominid family includes all anthropoids. Of all hominids, only Homo sapiens remains alive.

  • Australopithecus: Lived in the jungle between 3 million and 1 million years ago. Had a skull capacity of 500 cm3.
  • Homo habilis: Similar age to Australopithecus, with a skull capacity of 700 cm3. Had a different lifestyle: lived in spacious areas, and families were structured. They made shacks and tools.
  • Homo erectus: Lived between 1.5 million and 300,000 years ago. Bipedal, with a skull capacity from 900 cm3 to 1200 cm3. Used fire and made stone tools (such as axes).
  • Homo sapiens: Appeared 100,000 years ago in the Middle East and Africa, and 40,000 years ago in Europe. Initially nomadic, they practiced livestock farming and made tools. They created weapons (stone axes and knives), clothing, and ornaments, and buried their dead with great respect. They also created artwork (such as the cave paintings in Altamira). Their skull capacity was similar to or larger than that of modern humans. Gradually, humans adapted to their environment. This adaptation was not purely biological; humans also created a cultural world. Anthropologists call this process socialization.

Logos: The Defining Human Characteristic

Humans possess logos, which distinguishes us from animals. Logos is related to reason, but the two concepts are not entirely the same. The Greek word “logos” has multiple meanings:

  • Logos is the ability to understand and explain things as they are.
  • Logos enables humans to live in society, as it involves a shared language. This highlights the intersubjectivity of human rationality.
  • Logos is also related to the ability to think rationally and reasonably: to conduct personal and intelligent analysis and determine what is good for everyone in general.