The Damned Human Race

Within his essay of The Damned Human Race, author Mark Twain powerfully declares that the human race is both flawed and corrupt, and that people actually should be classified as "lower animals" rather than the formerly known "higher animals." Twain does not hold claim to a Darwinian or creation standpoint, but rather draws conclusions from his own observations in performed experiments. He states that "man is the cruel animal," and that we can attribute this …

…and murder in his writings. But can animals also show signs of love, compassion, and servant-hood? Of course not! It is ironic that the very thing which Twain explains puts people below the other animals, yet also ascends the human race to the highest point on that very ladder. The moral sense can be both a blessing and a curse, yet in the end, it is up to man to decide how to utilize it.