Can Dolphin's Be Considered People
| Is a Dolphin a Person? | | | |
What Is a Person?
What makes someone or something a person? Does being human satisfy the definition of a person? No, there is actually a difference between “human” and “person”. “Human” is more of a biological concept, reflecting association in Homo sapiens. “Person,” on the other hand, is a philosophical concept, signifying a being with capacities of a specific sort. Such as being alive, being aware, feeling positive and negative sensations, emotions, a sense of self, and controlling your own behavior. Also, a person recognizes other persons and treats them appropriately, they can learn, retain, and recall information and solve complex problems with analytical thought. And a person can communicate in a way that suggests thought.
The fact that “human” and “person” are separate concepts should be clear. It is possible to be human and not a person. For example, a person who is brain dead is still a human but has no personhood. As well as the other side of the distinction that it is theoretically possible to have “persons” who are “nonhuman.” This would be beings with the same traits as normal humans but who come from a different biological family. Which brings me to the question, “Is a Dolphin a Person”?
Is a Dolphin a Person?
Well let’s go back to what generally describes a person. For one, a Dolphin is very much alive and is aware of its external environments. If they weren’t it wouldn’t be so easy to train them and they wouldn’t interact with the outside world, yet alone handle the demands of living in the ocean. Dolphins can also feel positive and negative sensations. Most nonhumans such as dogs react to cuts, bruises and broken bones just like we do. Likewise, Dolphins can feel pain and pleasure. Their brains have pain centers and their skin is especially sensitive. They experience pleasure from their frequent sexual behavior and from some of their “play” behavior. Their actions clearly suggest that they
What Is a Person?
What makes someone or something a person? Does being human satisfy the definition of a person? No, there is actually a difference between “human” and “person”. “Human” is more of a biological concept, reflecting association in Homo sapiens. “Person,” on the other hand, is a philosophical concept, signifying a being with capacities of a specific sort. Such as being alive, being aware, feeling positive and negative sensations, emotions, a sense of self, and controlling your own behavior. Also, a person recognizes other persons and treats them appropriately, they can learn, retain, and recall information and solve complex problems with analytical thought. And a person can communicate in a way that suggests thought.
The fact that “human” and “person” are separate concepts should be clear. It is possible to be human and not a person. For example, a person who is brain dead is still a human but has no personhood. As well as the other side of the distinction that it is theoretically possible to have “persons” who are “nonhuman.” This would be beings with the same traits as normal humans but who come from a different biological family. Which brings me to the question, “Is a Dolphin a Person”?
Is a Dolphin a Person?
Well let’s go back to what generally describes a person. For one, a Dolphin is very much alive and is aware of its external environments. If they weren’t it wouldn’t be so easy to train them and they wouldn’t interact with the outside world, yet alone handle the demands of living in the ocean. Dolphins can also feel positive and negative sensations. Most nonhumans such as dogs react to cuts, bruises and broken bones just like we do. Likewise, Dolphins can feel pain and pleasure. Their brains have pain centers and their skin is especially sensitive. They experience pleasure from their frequent sexual behavior and from some of their “play” behavior. Their actions clearly suggest that they
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