To begin with we should give a definition of homo sapiens. Homo sapien is the description of mankind in his present state of evolution. It means wise man. Nowadays with biological and nuclear bombs etc. being developed some of us might see this name as a bit of a joke, but, think about how much mankind has developed. We may not be wise, but we have certainly developed our thinking power.

In ancient times man lived in the wild, they were very independent and fended for themselves at all times. They had no fixed homes, it was necessary for them to move from place to place so that they could always be sure of food. They spent all day long hunting and fishing in order to get food. When food in one area was used up (this usually took less than a week) they had to move on to somewhere else. This meant that most of their time was taken up trying to find food which they could not do without. As a result they lived a very primitive lifestyle and didn't have time to think about anything but getting enough food to satisfy Man's most basic need.

However this era came to an end when the first settlements came about. No longer were lives one of constant travelling and work gathering wild crops, man now had time to sit back and think of new ways to improve their lifestyles. Gradually, over the years customs and pastimes formed and since people had more time, they became interested in learning. They had the opportunity to ponder the world around them, and they began to form ideas and theories of the world in which they lived.

Eventually the first schools were founded and this concept of education was essential for mankind to progress. These first schools were centres of excellence where there were amazing advances in science, philosophy, maths, etc.

Just think of what man has achieved. From the basic but essential discoveries of metals, tools, successful farming methods to people in space, satellites, computers. From the beginning of the homo sapien era man has shown increasing intellectual ability. Life never remains the same for too long, new methods will always evolve.

Some people think that this food surplus has left man thinking too hard and given too much of an opportunity for mistakes. We have already borne the brunt of many of these such as the two world wars. If man were to be still hunting for their food today we might not have all the problems we have to deal with today. But we have learnt and will continue to learn from our mistakes, hopefully.

However we are still a long way off being homo sapiens in it's true meaning. Perhaps we should be called "homo intellectus"?

by: Paula Prendergast, Aine Mullahy, Aisling Madden, Caoimhe Weeks Anne Marie Mongan, Rosaleen Regan. Deborah Roache, Honor Tuohy Aoife Egan