Whilst stretching this morning, I had an interesting thought conserning the use of the word 'humane'. Dictionary.com defines 'humane' as: "characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, esp. for the suffering or distressed".
This seemed a form of conceptual paradox to me, for which other animal on this planet treats any other living thing in such a way that needs compassion or sympathy for the outcome. The word humane is usually used regarding the kind actions of people following the not-so-kind actions of humans.
Does this word mean that there is a perception that humans are essentially compassionate, or once were essentially compassionate? Or maybe that humans are the only beings capable of being compassionate? Or is it simply the belief that humans should be essentially compassionate?
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