Anthropocentrism versus Biocentrism.

Let's begin. I am a proponent of anthropocentrism, "the belief that humans are the central and most significant entities in the universe. " This is contrasted with biocentrism, which states that anything non-human should still be regarded with equal and inherent value. My argument diverges from here on. Humans. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the word humanity is destruction. We are a parasitic species. We prey on the weak and cater to the strong. The homo sapien species is the only species you can safely remove from this planet, without disrupting the cycle of Nature. Yet, since our first ancestor evolved more than 200 million years since, we are one of the most resilient species found on Earth. We humans have been through it all; the copious plights and struggles found within society, the ravaging wars, grief and strife, famine and disease. Yet we are still here, with a population that increases every day. We conquered each other, we manifested the atom bomb, we traveled to the depths of space. We are visionaries, thinkers, problem-solvers, and teachers. Most of all, we are human. Humans should be entitled to first priority regarding anything. Since Darwin's departure from Earth a little more than a century ago, we now know more about the aspects of ever-changing life. Natural selection, survival of the fittest, and adaptations, to name a few. We find ways of playing God every day. Our modern medicine & technology is so powerful and deadly that natural selection no longer heeds us. Take a look around you. Everything surrounding you was manufactured by mankind. Nature provided the tools, we manipulated it to our advantage. Yet, there are synthetic and artificial elements of life that nature cannot produce, but we can. We are no longer entirely dependent upon nature for everything and anything, excluding some basic necessities such as water and oxygen. Humans are the only species that can lie. Some might say it is our fatal flaw, others say it is the only thing keeping us human. I prefer to think of lying as a test of our intellectual abilities. Humans are the only species that can also willingly conceal their emotions, and for good reason to. Do you think anything in this world would be accomplished through honest, good-to-the-heart people? Those people do not exist. This world is harsh. It is a struggle to live no matter where you live, no matter what genus you belong to, life is not easy. Some have more privileges than others, but in the end, judgment will come. "The qualities of humans have empowered their species to a degree that no other species has achieved during the history of life on Earth, through the development of social systems and technologies that make possible an intense exploitation and management of the environment. " - . http://science.jrank.org... Animal testing. Think what you will of it, but the truth still stands: If we don't take advantage of something, others will. If you don't advantage of a college grant, another student will. Life is not fair, it is not our responsibility to make it fair for other species. Animal testing is centered primarily around the safety and well-being of humans, and it should be that way. Would you rather test deadly chemicals on fellow humans, or find your best friend dead because his house contained arsenic? We administer death by choice. We assist in suicides. We employ euthanasia. We control abortions. We are God, in a sense. Animals cannot choose when they want to die. They cannot suicide, they cannot laugh, smile, or cry (to an extent, and willingly, i. e. actors portraying movies). While I do not want to go so far as to say that man's best friends are stupid and dim, it is an undeniable fact that homo sapiens possess by far the most superior knowledge and wit ever witnessed in the history of this planet. "Finders, keepers," an old truism you might have uttered whilst as a kid, this motto applies to life in general. Those which possess the tools needed to survive, will survive. Those who cannot adapt, will die. That is the destiny of all life on this planet. Human life is more important than anything else on this planet. The preservation and sanctity of life should be the first priority on every human's mind. People have sacrificed themselves in the past, not for the betterment of other species, but for the good of mankind.