In a recent email interview , gross said he figures there are probably many different levels of consciousness , but he believes that language is a crucial factor distinguishing the human variety from that of animals .
Rationalism is both a main tradition and a main distinguishing feature of western culture and it exerts direct and decisive influence on western science .
It was before oligopolistic arrangements among giant corporations superseded competition as the distinguishing characteristic of our economic system , and before american culture became bureaucratic .