The Human Animal, by Desmond Morris (1994) BBC Four

Beyond Survival

Episode 6: Beyond Survival

Humans are animals with similar biological needs to other species. So why have we got art, cinema, sport, literature and philosophy? In the last programme in the series, Desmond Morris examines what the human animal does when it has sorted out its basic needs - food, warmth and shelter - and has gone beyond mere survival. Morris explores the inventiveness of human behaviour, and comes to some fascinating conclusions.



* Creativity: Body adornment, Architectural embellishments, Vehicles, Art

* Artistic progression: Innate scribbling, Realism

* Play: Childhood experimentation, Adult inventiveness, Sports, Thrill-seeking, Symbolic thinking

The Human Animal: A Personal View of the Human Species is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by Desmond Morris, first transmitted in the UK from 27 July 1994. The series was produced in associaion with Discovery Channel.



Morris describes it as "A study of human behavior from a zoological perspective." He travels the globe, filming the diverse customs and habits of various regions while suggesting common roots.



I've sometimes been accused of degrading mankind, of insulting human dignity, of making man beastly. This surprised me because I like animals, and I feel proud to call myself one. I've never looked down upon them, so to call human beings animals is not, to me, degrading. It's simply being honest: putting us in our place as part of the scheme of nature on the planet Earth.

– Desmond Morris, Closing statement of episode 1



Episodes

1. "The Language of the Body"



* Gestures: Greetings, Insults, Signals, Gesticulations

* Facial Expressions: Stares, Smiles, Tells



2. "The Hunting Ape"



* Diet: Fondness for sweets, Culinary variety

* Evolution: Arboreal vegetarianism, Savannah meat-eating, Cooperative hunting with weapons, Food preparation, Aquatic ape hypothesis

* Vestigal hunting behavior: Jobs, Sport Hunting, War



3. "The Human Zoo"



* Urban Tribalism: Familiarity, Theft, Uniforms, Rituals, Conflict, Social status, Territory



4. "Biology of Love"



* Courtship: Finding partners, Gender signals, Dating, Tie signs, Pair bonding, Intercourse



5. "The Immortal Genes"



* Life cycle: Infant-parent interaction, Baby signals, Child behavior, Rites of passage, Cultural indoctrination, Fighting aging, Grandparenting, Afterlives



6. "Beyond Survival"



* Creativity: Body adornment, Architectural embellishments, Vehicles, Art

* Artistic progression: Innate scribbling, Realism

* Play: Childhood experimentation, Adult inventiveness, Sports, Thrill-seeking, Symbolic thinking

Source: Wikipedia