There are those like the ancient Greek philosophers, foremost among them Aristotle, who believe that mans highest accolade is the fact that he is a rational, cognitive being. To them mans sublimity lies in the fact that he can withdraw from his base animalistic instincts and enter a world of thought where investigation and logical deduction are his highest callings. Human greatness rests in mankind's ability to conjure up worlds of the imagination. To calculate with mathematics, to experiment with science, to chronicle with history, to observe with nature, to float with music, to dream with art - all the while remaining the detached and objective observer. Humanity's greatness lies specifically in its ability to rise above animal programming.
Animals have no choice but to abide by their genetic limitations.
But man, possessed of a higher intelligence which allows for consciousness, is actually aware of his own existence. As such, he can actually hold his life in the palm of his hand and stare at himself as if he were someone else and thereby become self-perfecting. Because humans can deliberate possibilities, they can also choose another course which may contradict their essential animal programming. So while humans are born with inherent character traits and genetic predisposition, they are still held accountable for their actions since they have the capacity to choose otherwise. This was essentially the view of Maimonides who embraced this aspect of Aristotelian thought.