There's a difference between predators and parasites. A predator kills its prey outright and eats it in order to survive. A parasite, bacterium, virus, whatever will invade your body, keeping you alive, and uses you to reproduce and feed. If left unchecked, yes they can kill you, but it doesn't make them a predator.
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Originally Posted by Magrus However...in order to make me believe a species is better than all of the rest, I'm going to look into things other than sheer accomplishments. I can build stuff, and I can move and adapt, and I can wander down my street, break into people's houses, kill the occupents and take their stuff. Would that, in your eyes, make me superior to the people I kill? 
@ Fiona, I think the big thing is my view of "superiority" has truly nothing to do with the ability to dominate or kill off other species, or to simply survive. It is based on the actions overall of a species in regards to those around it. I find humans to be sadly, horribly lacking in that aspect compared to nearly every other species I can think of. They are greedy, selfish, horribly destructive and don't give a damn about anything but themselves as a species overall. |
Also, humans aren't the only ones who build cities. Beehives, anthills, rabbit burrows, they're all communities that they all build. Some of the "cities" these animals build are quite elaborate. Most animals are social creatures, and can construct grandiose projects, just as much as humans can.
I still don't see the justification of superiority by being masters of their environment. The environment is our enemy, yet many animals adapt to it. This proves them to be more resilient, stronger, better.
We make the environment adapt to
us, which proves us weaker and less capable of withstanding nature. I fail to see that as making us superior.