What makes a man?

Ratramnus, most famous for his contribution to Eucharistic theology in his debate with Radbertus, was asked by a priest, Rimbert, whether the dogheads were human. Rimbert’s interest was evangelistic: If human, dogheads should be evangelized.

Seems so, Ratramnus said. They live in villages, practice farming, wear clothes, and even keep pets of their own. What most distinguishes them as human, though, was rationality. For Ratramnus, though, rationality is not merely mental; rather it is the capacity for “art” that manifests rationality: artis scientia nonnisi rationali conceditur animae , translated by Robert Bartlett as “knowledge of technical skills is granted only to the rational soul.”