In this blog post, we’ll examine how the relationship between animals and humans has evolved as humans have progressed from ‘Homo sapiens’ to ‘Homo Deus’, and explore the possible directions this relationship may take in the future.
By stepping into the realm of life, humans have encroached upon the realm of the divine. Having once threatened God with the sword of science, humans have ultimately reached the divine realm, transcending Homo sapiens to become “Homo deus.” With the advent of the age of Homo deus, humans attain the status of a god. However, through the research conducted to attain this divine status, humans have come to understand the essence of animals and humans alike, and have begun to pay attention to the substantive differences between them and us.
In the age of the gods, there are two main possibilities. One is realizing that there is no essential difference between animals and humans, leading to a situation where animals and humans stand on completely equal footing—going beyond mere animal welfare—and the other is humans, having ascended to divine status, exploiting animals. Broadly speaking, these are the two main possibilities, though many others exist in between. However, in this article, I intend to discuss the broad framework of which of these two possibilities we are currently closer to. In particular, I will focus on examining the changes in the relationship between animals and humans from the past to the present and, based on this, attempt to predict what the future might look like.
The evolution of the relationship between humans and animals has largely unfolded within the framework of “equality—animal exploitation—animal welfare,” and currently, significant effort is being devoted to animal welfare. In the past, humans lived alongside animals and occupied a relatively equal position. In the days before humans had fully domesticated animals, the relationship between humans and animals was one of predator and prey. When a human successfully hunted an animal, the human had “defeated” the animal; conversely, when an animal killed a human, the human had “lost” to the animal. Through this cycle of victory and defeat, humans and animals stood on roughly equal footing. Furthermore, as seen in philosophies such as animism, animals were sometimes even placed slightly above humans in status.
Later, as humans succeeded in domesticating animals, a significant shift occurred in the relationship between the two. Humans succeeded in taming animals, which allowed them to directly utilize livestock such as dogs, pigs, horses, cattle, and chickens. Dogs were domesticated primarily for emotional bonding with humans, while other animals were domesticated mainly to provide material benefits, often through slaughter or sale. Through this process of domestication, the relationship between humans and animals shifted from one of equality to one in which humans occupied a slightly higher position than animals. This demonstrates just how much power is bestowed upon an entity when another learns to dominate it.
As humans succeeded in domesticating animals, the exploitation of animals became even more widespread. Through methods such as factory farming and intensive rearing, humans maximized material gains while subjecting animals to harsh conditions. These actions were carried out solely for human benefit, without any consideration for the animals’ well-being. As a result of such selfish human behavior, livestock underwent physical changes. Because they now lead lives different from those in the wild, livestock have become smaller and more plump in the process of adapting to these conditions. However, this can be seen less as the animals changing their bodies to adapt on their own, and more as the result of humans altering their bodies to maximize profit. Consequently, through domestication, animals have undergone structural changes in their bodies.
As domestication progressed, humans rose to a position superior to that of animals. Around the time humans reached the pinnacle of that hierarchy, advancements in biological research—conducted to exploit animals—began to accumulate evidence showing that animals and humans are not significantly different biologically, and reflections on the relationship between animals and humans shifted in a new direction. We were unable to provide clear answers to fundamental questions such as “What distinguishes them from us?” and “Where does the justification for our use of them come from?” and thus became aware of animal welfare. By considering not only the human perspective but also that of animals, we have descended to a position more on par with them. However, we are not yet on an equal footing as we once were. Since we continue to utilize animals, we can still be said to hold a position of superiority over them. Nevertheless, it is clear that we now view animals from a perspective entirely different from that of the earlier era of domestication. We are striving to ensure that animals can live in better conditions than before by working to improve their living environments and slaughter conditions.
Thus, from the past to the present, the relationship between humans and animals has unfolded within a framework of “equality—domestication—animal welfare,” and it is currently evolving toward a model that takes the animals’ perspective into greater consideration. If we discuss how the relationship between humans and animals will change when the age of Homo Deus arrives within this framework, we can predict two possible directions: either Homo Deus succeeds in rising to a position higher than that of animals and exploits them at will, or Homo Deus and animals occupy equal standing. Broadly speaking, the discussion can be framed around these two directions.
In the scenario where Homo Deus exploits animals, one might ask: Where did Homo Deus find the power to justify this exploitation? If we view Homo Deus as a biologically evolved form of Homo sapiens, we can say that, having evolved physically, it possesses a form distinct from that of Homo sapiens. This is where that power lies. Biologically speaking, Homo Deus is superior to Homo sapiens. Since this is equivalent to saying that Homo Deus is biologically superior to animals, it can be said to possess the power to utilize animals.
The scenario in which Homo Deus occupies a position equal to that of animals is the opposite of the above: it occurs when Homo Deus fails to demonstrate biological superiority over animals. This applies to cases where Homo Deus is merely an intellectually superior being that is biologically identical to Homo sapiens but possesses greater abilities. It is a case where the notion of “evolution” is limited solely to the intellectual level. Since we currently cannot identify any biological superiority between animals and humans, if Homo deus has not evolved biologically beyond Homo sapiens, they too would be unable to claim superiority over animals.
However, even if Homo deus has evolved biologically from Homo sapiens, they can still strive to improve animal welfare and narrow the gap between themselves and animals. This scenario refers to the conclusion that promoting animal welfare ultimately benefits humans. When animal welfare is prioritized, animals can grow up healthier, which in turn means they can provide humans with high-quality products. From this perspective, animal welfare is not only for the sake of animals but ultimately serves human interests as well. Another reason worth considering is tied to human empathy. Humans possess the ability to empathize with the suffering of others; based on this ability, we can empathize with the suffering animals experience and, as a result, feel compassion for them. We can also consider that these emotions motivate us to prioritize animal welfare.
As such, the relationship between animals and humans is constantly evolving, and accordingly, the way we treat animals is also changing. It could also be argued that changes in the relationship between humans and animals depend on the differences between them and us, a process that is intertwined with scientific progress. Depending on the extent of research into the nature of humans and animals and the extent to which our differences have been elucidated, grounds for human use of animals may or may not emerge. This demonstrates that our values are significantly influenced by such grounds.
As scientific progress continues to advance, we are steadily building a foundation of evidence upon which to form our values and opinions. We have no way of knowing whether the age of Homo Deus will come in the future, or what that age will be like if it does; however, the arrival of that age and the values of that era depend in large part on the scientific knowledge that our current generation is accumulating. Therefore, it is important that we live faithfully in the present to prepare for the changes we will face in the future.
