Human Arrogance

The thing that I have found most interesting in all of the theories of human nature that we have been reading is to separate our animal needs from our human nature. Are the phiosophers that think this suggesting that we are above nature simply by being human? Are we not animals at all? Religious thought suggests that humans are God's greatest creation, so of course we are above nature in the eyes of God. But then why do we have these animal needs at all? Many of our most basic instincts are animalistic. Without those inherent qualities humans would have gone extinct years ago. I think that it's important that we look at ourselves as people as well as animals. However, this could cross into making excuses for doing bad things and blaming it on being animalistic. There must be a good balance to realizing our humanity and keeping in our minds that we are not above nature itself.


Do you think that we will ever be able to overcome our animal needs and desires? Do we need to?