An Appeal To Pathos In David Quammen's A Better Idea

Elena R, Lauren L, Abby R, Natasha O

4/28/23

“A Better Idea” Essay �

Pride has long been a critical part of human culture. It has never been more apparent than in evolution. In his book Natural Acts, A Sidelong View of Science and Nature, David Quammen utilizes tone, syntax and an appeal to pathos to accomplish his contradict that humans are the epitome of evolution and knock humans off their pedestal.

In the first two paragraphs Quammen uses facts and a more formal language as a way to establish his purpose that humans might not be as high and mighty as scientists claim. By stating the beliefs of some biologists, Quammen contextualizes humans' scientific view of superiority. He goes to list scientific capabilities of humans and even

He begins by stating that humans are “‘most highly evolved”’ and above the “‘lower’ animals [such] as the sponge, the barnacle, or that odd group of faceless geometrical sea creatures”. The ‘geometrical sea creatures’ are not even given a name, because they are not worthy of one like humans are. This pushes Quammen’s idea that humans incorrectly feel superior to animals because they don't show the same evolutionary signs that are in most homo-sapiens. He puts quotes between ‘most highly evolved’ because he disagrees with the biologist’s notion and further explains the hierarchy of evolution with people at the top and animals below with quotations because he disagrees. He states “we know enough to come in out of the rain, usually”, his use of the word ‘usually’ insinuates that although humans have higher cognitive functions, we don’t always act that way. This serves to make the reader laugh about the subject and agree with his ideas. Lowering humans to the level of a “plump homely gob of living matter” humbles the reader and degrades the perfect image of homo sapiens. The word choice leaves a gross feeling and underlines the bad parallel of being compared to a sea