Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

1.3: What makes us Human?

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    88997

    • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    clipboard_e1fc020a53744f45fdfcfa45fe47eb7ad.png

    Let’s start here. What makes us human?

    Photographer, Yan Arthus-Bertrand, asked these questions as he collected stories from more than 2,000 people from 60 countries. Do we all have the same thirst for love, freedom and recognition? In a world torn between tradition and modernity, do our fundamental needs remain the same? Deep down, what does it mean to be human today? What is the meaning of life? Are our differences so great? Do we, in fact, share more values than we might have imagined? And if so, why can we not manage to understand one another? What was the toughest trial you had to face, and what did you learn from it?

    Take a look at an introduction to his film, “Human”.

    Introducing the film: https://www.misfitpress.co/blog/human-documentary-bertrand/

    The film recounts many of these interviews, interspersed with stunning portraits and the sort of aerial imagery he is famous for, depicting the human condition and our interactions with the Earth. ArthusBertrand has been kind enough to share some of the portraits and aerial photography from HUMAN with us here.

    https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/09/what-it-means-to-be-human-by-yann-arthusbertrand/407200/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgo_5BRDuARIsADDEntR1dHyKB3JsaE8GJTRETTIvAJXdMFHGIiD8HZSeyJzGZGH6pXojr8aAtsbEALw_wcB

    Also, read this blog discussing the film. https://www.misfitpress.co/blog/human-documentary-bertrand/

    There are three parts to this film. Each part is about an hour and a half. Take notes as you watch it. What do you see in this film that answers the question, what makes us human?

    https://www.youtube.com/user/HUMANthemovie2015/featured

    Once you’ve watched the movie and taken notes, create your own interview. You can be creative and record yourself as an avatar. You could follow style of the interviews in the film with a black background, or just simply record yourself on your phone, anywhere. (Flipgrid link)

    This page titled 1.3: What makes us Human? is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lori-Beth Larsen via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.