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Genetic Criteria and Theories of Personhood

The document discusses various theories on what defines personhood. It examines perspectives that consider persons as beings who are part of the moral community and deserve moral consideration. It explores the idea that a fetus is human but not a person due to an inability to communicate or perceive information. A person can still be considered a person after committing inhumane acts like murder since they retain the ability to communicate and process information. The document also analyzes the genetic criterion that defines a person by their human DNA and the social criterion that recognizes anyone society views as a person. It ultimately concludes that showing emotion, ability to communicate, and being cared for or part of society are characteristics that define personhood.

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Ayessa mae Caagoy
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18 views2 pages

Genetic Criteria and Theories of Personhood

The document discusses various theories on what defines personhood. It examines perspectives that consider persons as beings who are part of the moral community and deserve moral consideration. It explores the idea that a fetus is human but not a person due to an inability to communicate or perceive information. A person can still be considered a person after committing inhumane acts like murder since they retain the ability to communicate and process information. The document also analyzes the genetic criterion that defines a person by their human DNA and the social criterion that recognizes anyone society views as a person. It ultimately concludes that showing emotion, ability to communicate, and being cared for or part of society are characteristics that define personhood.

Uploaded by

Ayessa mae Caagoy
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Ayessa Mae Caagoy

BS Cooperative Management- 1A

Personhood tends to be an extremely controversial subject amongst many people with


varying views. One of the most controversial topic specifically of the past election cycle is the
right for women to have an abortion, this topic tends to stir up large debates and spawns an
immense amount of controversy. Within this essay, I want to discuss various theories on
Personhood written up by scholars, philosophers and regular people.

Philosophers consider Persons to be ´beings who are part of our moral community and
that they deserve moral consideration. One example that is mentioned is that Superman isn’t
technically a human being however seeing him on a different planet acting human he would
seem as if he were a person to you even though he is Kryptonian being that he is affected by
kryptonite and the sun. In my eyes superman is a person as he has the primary characteristics
of a human being his personality, appearance, ability to learn and communicate and his ability
to feel and empathize for another being. Those are all characteristics that I personally would
classify as primary criteria of what makes a person. There is a distinct difference between
human and person being that human is what we are biologically but person being more
confined to our personality and the way we interact with another being.

Another theory and questions is that if it is possible to be a human however not a


person, for instance being a fetus is human but can’t communicate and does not have the
before mentioned characteristics of a person and what truly makes a person a person.
Furthermore some people believe that a person in a vegetative state are no longer human as
they don’t have the ability to compute and process information making it impossible to
communicate with them and be able to contribute to society, they are struck of their person
like characteristics. I personally believe that these both are very controversial topics that have a
lot going for them from both perspectives, however I do lean towards the idea that a fetus
while human is not a person until it can perceive and compute information and communicate
via noises, crying and laughter. Once a baby/fetus shows that it can compute emotion and
information I believe it becomes a person. This simplified means that once a fetus can show
emotion be it kicking in response to an action that’s when it becomes a person. A person in a
vegetative state is a different story being that this person is incapacitated and going off the
assumption that this human will never can receive its think-ability I find it hard to believe that
that human is still a person as it doesn’t really fulfill the criteria in my book as to what defines a
person.

Is a person able to surrender its personhood by an inhumane act such as murder and
rape? My answer in short is yes a person is still a person after that person has committed the
act. This meaning that just because you killed a person doesn’t mean you fulfill the criteria of
what makes you a person as you are still able to communicate and still able to compute and
process information in a sense that is understandable to other persons. Lastly I believe that this
simply turns a person into a bad person and is no longer a contributing part to society as a
whole. One theory that is named is the Genetic Criterion meaning that you are a person if you
have human DNA and you’re not a person if you don’t. This in my eyes is only what defines a
human biologically and not what defines a person due to the points that I mentioned earlier.
The Criteria for Personhood is an interesting theory that closely aligns with my views and what I
believe is the criteria for a being to be a person. The only issue that I have with this theory is
that it rules out younger children which I do believe are persons as they can show emotion and
communicate with us being in laughter, crying or any other baby like emotion.

The social Criterion is more forward thinking and will allow most people to agree with it
being that it is broad in its definition allowing nearly anyone to be a person. The definition that
whenever society recognizes you as a person or whenever someone cares about you is also a
primary characteristic of personhood that I haven’t explored before. I agree with this theory but
would like to add my own criteria that I’ve mentioned various times throughout this essay.

To conclude I believe that there is no one step theory of what defines personhood but many as
there are many opinions. Furthermore, the definition of personhood will vary person to person
as views are different. If you can show emotion, communicate with other people in one way or
another and can be cared for by others or are considered a part of society by other persons
then you are a person.

Common questions

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The main criteria for personhood discussed include the ability to show emotion and communicate, as well as being recognized by society as a person or being cared for by others. The author's personal criteria include personality, appearance, the ability to learn, communicate, and empathize .

The document engages with debates surrounding the criteria for personhood, such as the definitions offered by genetic, emotional, cognitive, and social perspectives. It contrasts differing views, such as whether a fetus or a person in a vegetative state constitutes a person .

The document posits that committing inhumane acts like murder or rape does not alter a person's status; a person remains a person. The perpetrator still fulfills criteria like communication and processing information, becoming instead a 'bad person' who may no longer contribute positively to society .

The document distinguishes a 'human' as a biological classification, while a 'person' is more related to attributes like personality and social interaction. For example, a fetus is considered human biologically but not a person until it can perceive, compute information, and communicate .

The document argues that individuals in vegetative states may not be considered persons as they lack the ability to communicate or process information and are unable to contribute to society. This view is based on the belief that personhood requires the fulfillment of certain cognitive and social criteria .

The document criticizes the use of genetic criteria as the sole determinant of personhood, arguing that while genetics define a human biologically, they do not encompass what makes a person. Personhood involves additional characteristics like emotional expression and societal recognition .

A fetus is not considered a person in the document until it demonstrates the ability to perceive, compute information, and communicate, such as through crying or laughter. These abilities mark the transition to personhood according to the author's criteria .

Personhood is controversial due to its implications for abortion rights and ethical considerations. The debate hinges on when personhood begins, which affects arguments on the rights of a fetus versus the rights of the mother. Varied definitions of personhood complicate consensus on this issue .

The author believes younger children are persons because they can show emotions and communicate, typically through crying, laughter, and other baby-like expressions. This recognition contrasts with certain theories that may rule out younger children from personhood .

Society's recognition plays a significant role in defining personhood. If society or other persons recognize you or care about you, this is considered a primary characteristic of personhood, according to the social criterion mentioned in the document .

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