Personhood
1 : human, individual —sometimes used in combination especially by those who prefer to avoid man in compounds applicable to both sexes
2 : a character or part in or as if in a play : guise
3 a : one of the three modes of being in the Trinitarian Godhead as understood by Christians b : the unitary personality of Christ that unites the divine and human natures
4 a archaic : bodily appearance b : the body of a human being; also : the body and clothing
5 : the personality of a human being : self
6 : one (as a human being, a partnership, or a corporation) that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties
7 : reference of a segment of discourse to the speaker, to one spoken to, or to one spoken of as indicated by means of certain pronouns or in many languages by verb inflection
— per·son·hood \-ˌhu̇d\ noun
— in person : in one's bodily presenceGot it? 'Person' refers to a human being, a living human being, an individual. To suggest, as some have done, that that particular nomenclature be stretched to become more inclusive, to reflect cerebral capabilities of other animals, say for example, primates or dolphins, held to be intelligent creatures and in the case of primates perhaps distant cousins of homo sapiens sapiens, seems rather absurd.
The reason advanced for including animals into the 'personhood' designation is a laudable one: to advance the interests of other creatures of nature; to ensure that they are respected and protected. But it is an exercise in absurd futility; for one thing, human beings don't necessarily extend respect and protection to other humans, all of whom are seen as 'persons'.
The simple fact of necessity as human beings is that we should respect all of nature's creatures. Although we cannot be certain that nature does; she has created us but appears to be rather indifferent to our progress, finding satisfaction in permitting us to do as we will, only occasionally marshalling her neutrality in natural catastophies that diminish our numbers.
We do not really need to attach a symbolic name to other creatures that would place them on an equal moral footing with humans. Which does not preclude a need to respect, care and honour other living creatures. Humans are exceptional creatures of nature and special, if only to our own considerations.
Nature has dominion and absolute power over land and sea and atmospheric environment but humans, that special creative animal, exert their own version of dominion, contesting nature and for this, for good and for ill, we are set apart, uniquely special.
We alone of all nature's creatures, are capable in part of tempering nature, of altering our environment in ways useful and catastrophic, that other creatures cannot.
We emulate and we use nature. An awesome, and often awful achievement. Thus our exceptionality, but not perhaps indicative of entitlement.
Labels: Human Rights, Nature, Particularities/Peculiarities
posted by Pieface @ Friday, January 22, 2010
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