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Nov 15, 2008 @ 19:46:01

sister_of_mercy

Minister
12325 points

16/F/Bristol, United Kingdom
Join Date: Aug 2006

So, how would you define a person?
Would you say that an animal could be classed as a person?
Oh and when does a person stop being a person?
Explain your answer.

Irrelevant Twaddle! link [a-wonderful-oddity.blogspot.com]

sister_of_mercy last visited January 07, 2009

Edited: November 15, 2008 @ 19:46

Nov 15, 2008 @ 19:56:14

AgentSmith

Mega Über-Meister
4058 points

29/M/,
Join Date: Aug 2008

To make matters easy, we will do away with the complexities of defining a "person" by studying and arguing about which characteristics to include and which to exclude.
We will simply define a person as an offspring whose parents are human beings.

Therefore an animal is NOT a person.

Similarly, person NEVER stops being a person.

Don't be silly, honey. Men don't fly

AgentSmith last visited December 25, 2008

Nov 15, 2008 @ 19:56:20

poisonsbeauty

Points Whore
756 points

18/F/, Palau
Join Date: Oct 2008

I think to be a person is to be given the choice to feel, to think, and to decide the goings of life. It is being able to experience and express, make mistakes and learn, and to have abstract thoughts (emotions, hope, faith, etc).

Animals, I think, are bound more to instinct.

Being a person means to find yourself without losing yourself in all the structure. We were born to find our differences and ourselves, while animals were born with the sense of who they are.

I think a person ceases to be a person when he decides to substitute his free will. When we become robots that think accordingly rather than people with strong opinions, we lose who we are, I believe.

But that's just me...

"Understanding is but the sum of our misunderstandings."

poisonsbeauty last visited January 05, 2009

Nov 15, 2008 @ 19:57:37

sister_of_mercy

Minister
12325 points

16/F/Bristol, United Kingdom
Join Date: Aug 2006

AgentSmith said:

To make matters easy, we will do away with the complexities of defining a "person" by studying and arguing about which characteristics to include and which to exclude.
We will simply define a person as an offspring whose parents are human beings.

Therefore an animal is NOT a person.

Similarly, person NEVER stops being a person.

That takes all the fun out of it, philosophy isn't meant to be easy.

Why would you say a human is a person then?

Irrelevant Twaddle! link [a-wonderful-oddity.blogspot.com]

Edited: November 15, 2008 @ 19:57

Nov 15, 2008 @ 19:59:19

sister_of_mercy

Minister
12325 points

16/F/Bristol, United Kingdom
Join Date: Aug 2006

poisonsbeauty said:

I think to be a person is to be given the choice to feel, to think, and to decide the goings of life. It is being able to experience and express, make mistakes and learn, and to have abstract thoughts (emotions, hope, faith, etc).

Animals, I think, are bound more to instinct.

Being a person means to find yourself without losing yourself in all the structure. We were born to find our differences and ourselves, while animals were born with the sense of who they are.

I think a person ceases to be a person when he decides to substitute his free will. When we become robots that think accordingly rather than people with strong opinions, we lose who we are, I believe.

But that's just me...

Interesting, I like the whole Orwellian concept. But then surely you could argue that being a person is simply a matter of having an identity?

Irrelevant Twaddle! link [a-wonderful-oddity.blogspot.com]

Nov 15, 2008 @ 20:09:07

poisonsbeauty

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Join Date: Oct 2008

sister_of_mercy said:

Interesting, I like the whole Orwellian concept. But then surely you could argue that being a person is simply a matter of having an identity?

You could agrue that, but I believe there's more to a person than his identity alone. The choices you make, the environment, thoughts, and other things all contribute to your person. The whole journey is your person: the mistakes, the achievements, and even the in-betweens.

"Understanding is but the sum of our misunderstandings."

Nov 15, 2008 @ 20:09:18

AgentSmith

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Join Date: Aug 2008

Ah, so I have some conditions to fulfill. A human being is an animal, with 46 chromosomes, belongs to the primate family and prefers social existence.

Don't be silly, honey. Men don't fly

Nov 15, 2008 @ 20:10:50

kentoo

Debater
6949 points

60/M/Salmon Arm, Canada
Join Date: Jun 2008

By the definition only humans are persons
link [en.wiktionary.org]

Intent is the measure of heart

Nov 15, 2008 @ 20:16:17

sister_of_mercy

Minister
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16/F/Bristol, United Kingdom
Join Date: Aug 2006

kentoo said:

By the definition only humans are persons
link [en.wiktionary.org]

Who's to say that that is the definitive description of a person though?

Irrelevant Twaddle! link [a-wonderful-oddity.blogspot.com]

Nov 15, 2008 @ 20:20:11

#10

kentoo

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60/M/Salmon Arm, Canada
Join Date: Jun 2008

sister_of_mercy said:

Who's to say that that is the definitive description of a person though?

That is only according to Wiktionary. Shall we look for more ?

Intent is the measure of heart

Nov 15, 2008 @ 20:22:59

#11

sister_of_mercy

Minister
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16/F/Bristol, United Kingdom
Join Date: Aug 2006

kentoo said:

That is only according to Wiktionary. Shall we look for more ?

Well no, I don't care about what the official meaning is, just what everyone thinks.

Irrelevant Twaddle! link [a-wonderful-oddity.blogspot.com]

Nov 15, 2008 @ 20:49:38

#12

AgentSmith

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What do you think a person is, sister_of_mercy?

Don't be silly, honey. Men don't fly

Nov 15, 2008 @ 20:52:37

#13

sister_of_mercy

Minister
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16/F/Bristol, United Kingdom
Join Date: Aug 2006

AgentSmith said:

What do you think a person is, sister_of_mercy?

In my opinion, I think that a person is any being with a sense of morality and who can feel emotion, though the two could contradict themselves so I'm not entiely sure.

Irrelevant Twaddle! link [a-wonderful-oddity.blogspot.com]

Nov 15, 2008 @ 21:06:21

#14

AgentSmith

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That's a really good definition in my opinion because:

1. morality is a phenomenon which incorporates within it all that can be said of living organisms AND at the same time it is by itself a perfect example of human "thought"

2. yes emotion does contradict morality and human history is but a tale of this inherent opposition

Don't be silly, honey. Men don't fly

Nov 15, 2008 @ 21:25:32

#15

all_the_atoms_dance

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108/F/Hereford, United Kingdom
Join Date: Nov 2008

People have the ablility to brake free (but still work with) the ways of nature and instinct. We are able to explore our our personalities and able to reflect. We are able to decide whats right and wrong for ourselves.
I think that 'poisonsbeauty' has it about right

all_the_atoms_dance last visited December 03, 2008

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