Prior to this project I really knew nothing about chimpanzees, much less all the things that happen to them. Most of which we'll never see or hear of. Learning about Lucy was a rare and unique chance to ask, is this OK to do? Are these truly animals, or much much more? Finally with what we gathered from the experiment we can ask ourselves: what does it mean to be human? Then stop, then wonder...
Through this project we learned about the story of Lucy, a chimp socialized as a human from the moment of her birth in a traveling carnival. From the start of her life Lucy was treated as a Human, this started out as an experiment but in truth seemed to become much more... The two scientists conducting the experiment became Lucy's "Parents" treating her as their own child. This went on for many years, within their own apartment. Here, they taught her sign language to communicate, they potty trained her, and brought her into contact with other humans, one which would stay with her after the apartment & beyond.
After more than ten years, Lucy became too strong, too adult like to live in a apartment with her human parents. Finally the decision was made to release her into her natural habitat. This was done, Lucy spent a few nights out on a reservation, the maid, who had been with Lucy for many years, volunteered to stay with her in this period of adjustment, to leave after a few weeks had passed. Except Lucy didn't adjust, neither her nor the other chimps who arrived soon afterward ever did. Eventually she made the decision to move the chimps to a secluded Island. Here she stayed for many years, trying to show Lucy how to be a chimp, and to live on her own. It took years but eventually Lucy became the chimp she was always meant to be. At this point the maid bid her farewells and left.
She came back and visited twice, the second time Lucy's skeleton was found. She had been torn apart by poachers, preying on overeager prey. Her socialization as a human had gotten her killed.
Looking at the life of Lucy shows us many things, mainly what it means to be human. If any intelligent animal can communicate, and show emotion are any of us legitimately human? My answer is yes, and no. "Human" this seems now to me, to be a relative term. Like the way we call the color blue: "blue" and not "red", or vice-verca. If any intelligent animal can be shown how to be "human" does the word truly have any meaning? If so what separates us form animals? Myself, I can't answer this, but it truly does make you ask the question, why are we who we are?
This brings me to the question, was the experiment beneficial? Does what we learned make up for her terrible end? Can it? This just brings me back to the previous question, but never mind. Yes, I do believe the experiment was beneficial, was it justified though? Have we used any of what we learned from her?
My answer, based on what I know, has to be a no. How can we justify teaching something the means to bring itself to ruin? Lucy had no part in, no decision of, her fate. If the goal was to find out what it means to be human, then it painted us ,grievously, as animals. There I rest my case.
