Anthropocentrism ought to be valued above biocentrism.

"_____Well non human animals are obviously different to the degree they can rationalize but I would disagree that all animals cannot rationalize. Quite simply mammals because they share a closer evolutionary link and are biologically closer to us must have some ability to show morality. Mammals have to cooperate in groups form strategies for survival. This requires basic thought and concepts. It may be primitive (not as complex or diverse) but it has to work. A group of wolves have morality because they have to share food, not kill each other, show love and affection to young and other members of the group. So it would be impossible for these groups to survive if they where to competitive amongst themselves and had not concepts of morality.______" Evolutionary closeness is rather inconclusive on the basis that the tiniest difference is enough to separate one from the other drastically. The slightest difference can account for drastic differences, in this case cognitive capabilities. Yes Animal and man share some of the most basic similarities especially in the physical sense where form fit function. But to say that our rationalizing capabilities are any where similar is barbaric seeing as how animals don't have rationality. Instead Instinct, which is not learned as according to my first source. If learning is not taking place, neither is a a thought process. Mammals need to roam in packs is as I said in my first Millikan card predetermined by the species. They were born into a pack and have instinctual inclinations to be surrounded by those like themselves. To say they have morality because of this is also an invalid conclusion of their ‘strategy'. "________Ok, well this is well cited but the idea that ape behavior is only conducive to present needs is nonsense. Apes have to build friendships and improve relations with other members of there family. Even cultural traits (culture= traits passed down from generation to generation) such as different ways of opening nuts such as using sticks and twigs to rocks and then simply hands. There is now way that apes could have these primitive cultures if as Merlin thinks is completely in the present. Besides apes are 96% biologically similar, they inhibit many traits of human hunter gatherer tribes.______" You can not say that Apes have culture because it would be attributing to them concepts they can not have without a solid language basis nor the complexity of a brain like our own. This ‘culture' my opponent claims they have is not culture at all but instinct once again (and you can reference my first source at the bottom of this page) that can also be passed along. Culture can not simply be the ability to get food in a way not normal to the being. It is actually these patterns, traits, and products considered with respect to a particular category, such as a field, subject, or mode of expression: religious culture in the Middle Ages; musical culture; oral culture. As defined by the American Heritage Dictionary. On his 96% similar argument, what about the other four percent? His own source says "Despite the similarities in human and chimp genomes, the scientists identified some 40 million differences among the three billion DNA molecules, or nucleotides, in each genome." That is a vast difference and enough for rationality and cognitive capabilities to fall through the cracks. Despite this all, if we look at Animals in their entirety this one bit of grey area is irrevocably insignificant to concede that animals have rationale. "______Oh I am sure icey4321 that could possibly be the case! Now time for the refuting as I believe this is probably one of the most absurd claims from this anthropocentrist yet. You are correct when you say that instinct purely drives animals, because we are ANIMALS! If we weren't then why do we consume and reproduce and share many social and biological traits with mammals. Humans may have a more complex instinct but it is still instinct, as free will does not and has never existed. To have free will an organism would have to be completely isolated from all environmental, evolutionary and biological factors. What is so dehumanizing to accept that you are an animal what so wrong and immoral about that? The only people who accept anthropocentrism probably are creationists christian fundamentalists who want to objectify there views of ignorance over the scientific method which is supported by evidence._________" Actually I say that NONHUMAN ANIMALS are purely driven by instinct. They want to survive and reproduce and find the most qualified mate. They live day to day unlike us. I concede that we have instinct and are driven by it. But the fact is we have Instinct AND rationality AND thought process AND extremely complex logical thinking AND everything else that goes along with running a functioning and superior race of human civilization. Free will exist everywhere but when I want to act on a completely ridiculous or even logical matter like murder or the like I have the ability to think about it at all angles. Whether it be the consequence of jail time or getting blood on my shirt. You and I have the ability to think it through. Also you can say probably with no warrant to the only way I will acknowledge the Christian fundamentalists argument is by saying that even if they do support anthropocentrism it does not make it wrong. Seeing as how they are also humans with rationality. Moreover despite all the attacks on my case which I have successfully defeated my opponent has failed to uphold biocentrism as the topic of debate indicates. Therefore my opponent has no case and my position is supreme. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instinct http://news.nationalgeographic.com... What this means for the round. 1. My value, criterion and justifications, and contention all are the only way to determine the round. 2. There is no way to choose Biocentrism because my opponent fails to mention why we should. 3. I successfully refuted all arguments on my case and turned my opponents evidence into evidence for the affirmative. So you can see that already you can vote AFF.