what makes humanity different than animals

Good evening, I wish to debate this topic as it has bothered me for some time. My opponent has requested that I present an argument backed by sound logic, something I always intend to do. The rules then are not that complicated. My opponent is arguing that humans are no better than animals, that we are equal in all ways with them. I will prove that humans are above other animals in many ways. Thank you Con, and let us begin. Consider existence, and doing so you prove my first point, that humans have an uncanny intelligence and understanding that surpasses any other creature. Us humans are not so much known for our physical superiority, but rather our intelligence that has led us to accomplish great things. Our mental abilities have given us the power to accomplish greater acts of power than the mightiest beasts (consider the atomic bomb). We have tamed fire, tamed land, and tamed all the other animals through this intelligence. We have so tamed other creatures that we put them in zoos on display so that we may observe their stupid yet beautiful way of life with utmost wonder. The closest an animal comes to the human intelligence is supposedly a Grey Parrot. Yet even the parrot is supposedly only intelligent enough to count to six. If humans are astonished about such intelligence, consider that we can count to millions and billions. We also create buildings, cars and computers for our own benefit. No creature can comprehend any of these things, yet we can comprehend everything an animal can. Our sense of language is extremely complicated in comparison to the animal's sense of the word. While they may understand a few vocal signals, we learn languages composed of hundreds of thousands of words and then multiple types of language. However, I understand that intelligence in itself is not necessarily proof of superiority although we have gained superiority through intelligence. We are the only creatures who truly appreciate beauty and love. Our sense of those words is quite different then animals'. Animals work purely on instinct, and while humans also have instinct, we have something else as well. The animal does not decide rationally between two instincts, rather the stronger instinct always wins. For example, sheep will follow the leader off the cliff, because the instinct to follow the leader is stronger than the instinct to stay away from the cliff. Likewise, a dog may have the instinct to be loyal to its master, yet the dog does not actually love the master in the human sense. Love is a human concept. It is quite different than the loyal instinct or sexual instinct, which we also posses. We can decide whether to love or not love, and it is this decision process that makes humans quite different than animals. Also, we may discern subjective concepts such as beauty. Subjective concepts are also outside of the capabilities of instinct. Humans can also discern morals, what is right and wrong. Nothing an animal does is wrong or right unless a human perceives it as so. A mother snake may eat her children, and we would say it is a wicked act. Yet if asked, the snake would say she was hungry. Animals do not hold this sense of justice and morality that humans do. These things like morals are not evolutionary adaptations, but rather of something quite different and quite human. Think back when I told you to consider existence. Our understanding of concepts that we cannot understand because our minds are finite is amazing compared to comprehension of an animal. We recognize our brains and know we cannot fully understand the brain. Also, humans recognize animals to the extent that they have control over them. To show my point, I asked my dog if humans are better than animals and if it would be alright if I continued to rule over them. She complied. Sure, I may have trained her to do so, but she did not have the ability to have an opinion on the subject. I think it is obvious that humans are on a different level than animals, yet how do we logically? We may take the evolutionary viewpoint that we are the most intelligent and powerful creature evolutionary, thus we are better then the other animals. That is very valid. But how else do we classify something being more equal than another? Plants are obviously not equal to humans or most animals for that matter, yet they are made of the same thing. Is it a mind that sets creatures apart? But clearly our mind is better than any other creature's. More importantly, the thing that sets humans apart is our spirit, the something that no one can fully understand where it comes from, but we all know we have it whether consciously or unconsciously. It is this something that can recognize art, music, love, beauty, hate, justice, and peace, things that no beast can understand. From this something, this spirit, this human sense, that no other creature has, we may conclude that animals are not equal to humans. Perhaps my opponent can show that animals posses such a 'spirit,' but that would be quite a challenge. I await my opponent's response.