John McCain
Horse liberty
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2008
- Messages
- 473
- Gender
- Male
- HSC
- N/A
To describe a being as 'human' is to use a term that straddles two distinct notions: membership of the species Homo sapiens, and being a person, in the sense of a rational or self-conscious being.
Is it enough to say a person is simply an organism that is genetically a member of the species homo sapiens, and thus grant them all the rights and protections of all other homo sapiens?
Or do you have to possess higher qualities and faculties to be considered eligible for personhood and part of humanity?
Why do we value all human life above all other life? I would argue the higher reasoning qualities and self-awareness of humans is what justifies them being given their special, protected status. If an individual exists that shares only a genetic similarity with other homo sapiens, but none of these higher qualities, why are they deserving of the same protection?
If an organism is genetically human, but possesses less mental ability than say, a pig, as is the case for a foetus or an individual with severe mental disability, why should they be afforded more rights and protections than that animal?
Is it enough to say a person is simply an organism that is genetically a member of the species homo sapiens, and thus grant them all the rights and protections of all other homo sapiens?
Or do you have to possess higher qualities and faculties to be considered eligible for personhood and part of humanity?
Why do we value all human life above all other life? I would argue the higher reasoning qualities and self-awareness of humans is what justifies them being given their special, protected status. If an individual exists that shares only a genetic similarity with other homo sapiens, but none of these higher qualities, why are they deserving of the same protection?
If an organism is genetically human, but possesses less mental ability than say, a pig, as is the case for a foetus or an individual with severe mental disability, why should they be afforded more rights and protections than that animal?