How do you compare apples and peanut butter?  What Is Man? is a socratic
dialog.  It is not great philosophy, but it is serious thought.  Twain was
trying to present a few bsic principals:  determinism, self interest, the
vanity of man's high opinion of himself, etc.  These ideas are discoverable
in
Twain's fiction, lectures and essays throughout his career.

Philip Y. Coleman
California University of PA