The Lowest Animal Analysis

It is interesting to note that we are all animals, just a very special type: humans. The human race is always developing and making changes to the world. An English naturalist of the nineteenth century, Charles Darwin, set out a theory of human evolution. Darwin published his work called The Descent of Man, where the origin of man came from a lower form. Despite that Mark Twain, an American writer of the nineteenth century, set out to test Darwin’s theory of human evolution. Twain publicized his essay called The Lowest Animal, which explains why our(humans) descent is from higher animals. Both men seem to find significance in this topic as they both provide plenty of evidence to back up their notions while people in their time had no clue.

Darwin goes by deductive reasoning because he gives examples that are logic to us in the present time, but rare to those in his time, still he makes it easy to understand. Twain uses inductive reasoning because he uses observation from his experiment throughout most of his work. Nevertheless, humans have evolved from animals, we continue to find similarities in the way we express, understand emotions, as well as our ability in learning, and integrating actions to become ‘natural’ instincts. However, we differ in our abilities as humans can organize themselves for personal benefit aside from necessities.
Twain and Darwin each explain their notions, but they both correspond to the belief that humans did descent from an animal.

Darwin’s idea is authentic, as he was a geologist and biologist who integrates both in his writing to demonstrate the similarities and differences of other species and humans. Twain is credible since he was a journalist and lecturer that incorporates both in his work to substantiate his perspective on human evolution. Instead, they both develop a theory that explains the descent of the similarities and differences between man and other species. Besides, Twain almost seems to be taking a shot at Darwin by the name of his title. Twain being a successful writer always had attention, so Darwin was more serious about the topic since it was longer, and Twain found an opportunity to get involved with his ideas. Their notions are believable because of the examples of different species with their precise explanations to make it seem as a fact. Still, we find ourselves loving animals as we love other people; we also notice and consider their emotions. Throughout your life, you notice people with all types of animal ‘friends’: dogs, cats, rabbits, tigers, monkeys, and

others.
Therefore, they show emotions, so they matter too. Although humans have evolved from animals, we are able to connect through emotions. In addition, Darwin would consent to this because he writes, “The log of a dog for his master is notorious; in the agony of death he has been known to caress his master, and everyone has heard of the dog suffering under vivisection” (39). This conveys how animals build relationships and express them through actions rather than words. On the other hand, Twain and others would argue that every species is different. However, animals are different in their own respect, as a species they all share pain, happiness, boredom. The experiment done by Twain is limited to species, so having one of each animal is difficult to determine the truth. Animals just like humans are their own individuals; their expressions may differ depending on the circumstances of an animal. For instance, dogs like other animals suffer when they are about to go into some sort of surgery or have an injury. They express affection like humans and towards other species. Animals are curious to see what other species are about, so either they’ll try to interact with or avoid them. Species are significant to some people and others love to eat, beat, experiment them. The FACE (Foundation for Animal Care and Education) foundation proves that we care for animals because of how impactful they have been to a member and founder of it. Only animal lovers would understand that they too are like us and no one should standby animal cruelty.
Furthermore, natural instincts are impossible to stop or forget, and it is seen in your everyday life. They are reactions to something that you cannot prevent because it is inherited or imitated as the best solution. Animals have instincts too, but display it in different forms. By way of illustration, Darwin writes, “Birds on oceanic islands first learn to avoid man—after being performed during many generations, become converted into instincts, and are inherited” (36). Here, Darwin is trying to explain that instincts are inherited, or followed by experiences that shape an automatic reaction, like animals fear us as much we sometimes fear them. We examine and have come accustom to see certain animals react a way depending on factors in the situation. Those who are notwithstanding find our instincts to be different since we do face different challenges. On the contrary, instincts are made by learning and imitating, so animals have similar instincts as humans. For example, we train our animals with relationships, like a dog builds an instinct to protect their master(s) and family, or when they will be fed, what to do, and what not to do, through consistent practice, so that they will fit into society. Before man became civilized, they were savages, and before animals are put into civilization, they are aggressive or lost. If anything, animals have more abilities because they have survival instinct that we never fully obtain, rather we similarly learn and practice.
Furthermore, a humans’ mentality itself is greater than any animal as we are the rulers of the world in which all animals live in.

Our ability to progress, change the world, and destroy our own race is no match to whatever an animal thinks it can do. Our mental ability separates humans from animals because we are always trying to progress, but self-righteousness creates disaster. Mark Twain would agree because in his essay he says, “the higher animals engage in individual fights, but never in organized masse … war … is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and with calm pulse to exterminate his kind” (184). Although, I have seen angry birds or dogs attack a man, they never gather as a community, and plan to kill one another. Darwin appears to agree with Twain because he finds that certain groups with developed moral qualities will become dominant and replace others. We can see how we as humans control every species environment. Additionally, war is the worst man made thing, and it is all greed from one side, so it is a worldwide issue. Lately, videos of innocent children suffering throughout the Syrian Civil War have gone viral on the internet. Recently, aftermath footage of a chemical weapon attack on Syrian rebels by their president Assad, effects people by watching children suffer. American President Trump acted by dropping missiles on where the chemicals were launched from. Not America’s problem, but of course other nations will

get involved, because of how humanlike it is. It is sad, but true how destructive humanity is, instead we should want to see each other live and prosper.
As a result, Darwin’s notion that we have descent from higher animals is acceptable because of the power that humans have on this world. Then, Twain’s notion can be false since no lower animal can ever be comparable to a dominant figure like humans; in other words, we have the power to drop a nuke that will destroy everything on this world. Our intelligence is superior to any animal, we have developed solutions for life problems like medicine for many sorts of animals and health issues. We forget that humans once lived in the wildlife, no big houses, luxurious cars, airplanes, so we were always with animals. Therefore, we have descent from animals, we seek relationships with them, even though they cannot speak our language. Emotions express enough for humans and animals to find tranquility or an understanding of each other. Also, they learn from imitation, it proves that we are not alone in the sense that they can copy us, and we like to teach them new things too. Yet, humans can never agree on one thing, leaders are avaricious, so it gets complicated.