The whole point is that animals act like animals, but God expect’s their Godly soul to rise above their animal instincts. Some never do.
The old battle between flesh and spirit, that started when Adam and Eve committed the first sin. Knowledge was once forbidden, and now it’s required if we are to rise above, as you say. But what’s certain is that we can’t go back, and those who think we have no spiritual side, but are just animals, are only sinking into depravity instead. We march to the beat of one drummer or the other now, in this spiritual war.