Grammatical Chimp

For some people, the ability to use language defines humanness and confers on humans rights not granted other animals. Now here is Kanzi, a chimpanzee able to use language at the level of a 2-year-old child. There are great numbers of humans expected never to communicate better than Kanzi. Can we pen them up and raise them for food, clamp them in irons and drop chemicals in their eyes, burn them with torches and graft on new skin? If Kanzi really can talk, do we lessen our respect for humans or deepen our respect for animals?

All arguments to subjugate animals because they are inferior to humans are specious. This chimpanzee may have learned language more slowly than his trainer did, but Kanzi will always beat her to the top of a tree. Which is the more important only depends on what you do for a living.

DEAN SMITH

San Diego