Why Ask What It Means To Be Human?

Lately, it seems that everyone is talking about “what it means to be human.” Admittedly, “everyone” includes a bookish crowd of academics and theologians, plus a few “keynote speaker” types; nonetheless, it seems a rather strange question to ask if you’ve been fully human for, say, 30-50 years. I’m certain that a decade ago, I never heard this question asked, although the groundwork for this inquiry was certainly laid. Going further back to the 1980’s, this question would have earned some well-d...