Fire and Human Intelligence

Abstract

In itself the use of stone tools (Biro et al. 2013) can hardly explain the emergence of Homo sapiens, since many other species use elaborate construction methods, including the colonial insects and some birds and mammals. For example the Kapuchin monkeys which use stone tools. Nor can visual art provide a fundamental difference between humans and animals. Thus Bowerbirds decorate their nests to attract a mate and other animals may express themselves through art. It would appear in this respect the difference between humans and other species is more in terms of degree, rather than kind. This raises the question whether a criterion exists which fundamentally distinguishes humans from other species, and which can account for their extraordinary development of their faculties? At the present state of knowledge it appears the use of fire provides such a criterion. Inherent in ancient fire mythologies is the illegitimate nature of the acquisition of fire by humans, symbolized by Prometheus (Cartwright 2013), the Titan who, breathing life into human clay figures, stole the fire from the gods and gave it to the human beings he had created.