4.2 Being a rational animal doesn’t mean you’re not an animal

Sure, maybe all you have to do is open your eyes, but how many people actually do that? And furthermore, in this day and age—at least in the sciences—observation is no longer just a matter of opening you eyes.

As i’ve said elsewhere, the fact that we are "rational animals" doesn’t mean we aren’t animals. Consciousness and awareness is always primary over abstraction. By which i mean, more fundamental—more fundamental to our existence, more important to make sure you do and get right. Someone who can’t operate well on the conceptual level is liable to get fired and go on welfare, especially in a modern society. Someone who can’t operate well on the level of simple awareness is liable to simply get hit by a car—no matter how good they are at particle physics or computer programming.

From an email to Steve Clarian 2005.8.30