What is the point of separation between Homo sapiens sapiens and other animals?

[Aedilred]

No, no, no. I'm not referring to arbitrary human legal structures raised on the plinth of self-described natural law, I'm referring to scientific and related principles such as the principle of the general welfare. In those regards natural law is universal.

Unfortunately (for this approach) it remains a philosophical theory - a compelling one, no doubt, but one nonetheless - and not one scientifically provable. General welfare is not a scientific principle: any argument that could be made for it is rooted in philosophy and therefore people can come to different conclusions about it which in the absence of an objective measure against which to judge them may be equally valid.

It is pleasant to imagine that there is a singular set of core beliefs on which all humans necessarily agree. Unfortunately history tends to demonstrate that is not the case.

I can't help feeling that this thread, for the past several pages, is turning (or has turned) into a religion and/or politics discussion by proxy.

It does seem to be skating perilously close to that line. I think I'll take my leave of it...

[Donnadogsoth]

Unfortunately (for this approach) it remains a philosophical theory - a compelling one, no doubt, but one nonetheless - and not one scientifically provable. General welfare is not a scientific principle: any argument that could be made for it is rooted in philosophy and therefore people can come to different conclusions about it which in the absence of an objective measure against which to judge them may be equally valid.

It is pleasant to imagine that there is a singular set of core beliefs on which all humans necessarily agree. Unfortunately history tends to demonstrate that is not the case.

Untrue. Principles can suppress man's potential or unleash it. The general welfare principle does the latter and in that regard is a universal principle akin to the scientific. Since this is getting "perilous" I'll leave my argument for that there.