Since we are not yet fully comfortable with the idea that people from the next village are as human as ourselves, it is presumptuous in the extreme to suppose we could ever look at sociable, tool-making creatures who arose from other evolutionary paths and see not beasts but brothers, not rivals by fellow pilgrims journeying to the shrine of intelligence. Yet that is what I see, or yearn to see. The difference between raman and varelse is not in the creature judged but in the creature judging, and when we declare an alien species to be raman, it does not mean that they have passed a threshold of moral maturity. It means that we have.

Summary

This quote highlights the inherent prejudice and limited perspective that humans can have towards those that are different from them. It suggests that our discomfort and lack of understanding toward individuals from even the nearest village makes it highly presumptuous to believe that we could ever view intelligent species from alternate evolutionary paths as equals rather than beasts or opponents. The quote emphasizes the importance of recognizing that the distinction between being perceived as civilized or savage lies in humans themselves, rather than in the species being judged. It conveys a longing for a broader and more inclusive perspective that surpasses moral maturity thresholds.

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