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Position:Home>Philosophy> Is it possible for something to be Human but not a Person or vice-versa?Question: Is it possible for something to be Human but not a Person or vice-versa!? Our philosophy professor is asking us to comment on this!.!.!. it has me baffled!.
According to webster: a person is a self-conscious rational human being different from an animal or thing a human being is an individual from the genus homo sapien To me, they seem to be the same definition, but if he is asking us about it!.!.!. our context is the status of fetus (abortion issue)Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: A person is NOT just a human being!. There are copious examples (even today) of human beings considered to be other things than persons - most often property instead!. 'De-personing' someone is, in my observation, one of the most common ways of justifying behaviours that would otherwise be completely unacceptable if they were performed on another person!. America de-persons criminals, terrorists, and enemies in war rather regularly!.!.!. even today!. Nor is a person a thinking being!. A human who is mentally incapable may still be considered a person even when a genius is not!. I can recall cases of people born without a brain having their rights staunchly defended and genius slaves being oppressed more BECAUSE they were smart!. I think we should take a cue also from children!. Sometimes a child will insist on having a beloved stuffed animal given a place at the dinner table!. What defense does a child give for this insistence!? "They're a real person!" A Hagerty survey on cars showed people spending more on their car than their significant other (60%), talking to it on a regular basis (62%), and even buying it a Valentine's Day gift (29%)!. Not exactly behaviours we would expect toward simple objects!. This suggests that 'personhood' is a status that we set in our minds!. A person is someone who should be afforded rights and status similar to yourself!. They are an entity and an individual worthy of a certain basic respect and tolerance!. Someone who is NOT a person does not (in the mind of the viewer) deserve any of these things!. Who is a person and who is not, then, tells us a lot more about the being who is making such a declaration than the entities that he is talking about!. Being a person is a judgement, not an intrinsic quality!. Being a human has to do with various, very specific biological traits and is not up to much discussion as such!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Let's say like this: in this case words "human being" describes a "shell" or “construction”!. Something made of human genome, something of flash and blood in a shape and form of what we see and consider as "humanoid form", known as human!. But, that form is just "built” or “construction” of flash, blood, some nerves, etc!. When a form like that start to be self-conscious, when it recognize and acknowledge itself as "him/herself" and not "it" anymore (and even is capable to tell the difference between "it" and he or she), when she is capable to see the difference between him/her and another human or other form, then she becomes person: somebody who have realization of himself and world around!. There are many cases where these two states become so crossed, that it is hard to tell which is which!. Fetus is one!. Is it a person, only because it has human shape!? Science believes that a fetus, until some point, is not aware of its environment: following that, it is only a complexion of flesh/blood/bones/etc!. and not a person!. Religion (Christian in this case) once believed that fetus is not a person until 6th month, when it obtain a soul (and consciousness) and become person!. In some countries, until that month of pregnancy, abortion was allowed!. Other case where this kind of dilemma is pulled is when we have human with no brain activity!. Is it a person, or just a "shell" doctor has to "pull the plug" for, it is sometimes hard to decide!. Generally, in these cases, it is considered that an “object” in this situation is only a human, but not a person!. Shortly, many believe that a "person" is much like religious "soul" Even this claim may and can not be always applied, works in this case!. I suggest that you read a book: “Bicentennial Man” by Isaac Asimov, where this theme is widely discussed!. Hope it helps :)Www@QuestionHome@Com A fetus might be human, but it isn't a person!. It might be in the future, but it isn't now!. Similarly, someone with so much brain damage that they cannot think, or even breathe on their own, can't really be said to be a person!. Maybe they were in the past, but not now!. I would think that an intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or a genetically-enhanced intelligent dog, or an Artificial Intelligence (extremely sophisticated computer program), while not human, could be said to be a person!. So yes, I would say it is possible for a person to not be human, or for a human to not be a person!.Www@QuestionHome@Com The difference between "human" and "person" is found in the third word of the Constitution: "We the People!." And then, when it comes the rights of citizens in the Bill of Rights, the rights are all assigned to "persons!." Yes fetuses are homo sapiens, but constitutionally they are not covered by the laws because no fetus can own a gun, vote, choose a religion, etc, and the Founders never saw the ethical quandries of the current nation we call America!.Www@QuestionHome@Com It doesn't matter, any response is just arguing semantics!. It does not matter how we categorise living things, their value must be assessed in each individual case!. I think Warnock's definition of personhood is a good way to assess the value of a foetus!.Www@QuestionHome@Com The designation of what is a Person is normally a matter of law while a human being is a matter of genetics!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Human is what you are, person is what you become once you have an identity, thoughts, feelings!?Www@QuestionHome@Com They are absolutely the same!. However, some people hold the people that some one who may have mental issues is not a 'person', only a 'human'!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Yes!. Somebody who's upper brain functions are gone or an anencefalic child lack selfconsciousness though they are still alive!. An eventual non human, sentient creature would be a person!.Www@QuestionHome@Com human is short for human being!. human being is a person!. so in most cases a human is a personWww@QuestionHome@Com |