Crash Course Philosophy: Personhood

Introduction

• Sponsored by Squarespace.
• Explores the concept of 'personhood' and its implications in moral and social contexts.

Understanding Personhood

• Personhood is a technical, moral term, distinct from 'human,' which is a biological term.
• Persons are considered part of our moral community and deserve moral consideration.
• The determination of who is a 'person' is complex and central to debates such as abortion, euthanasia, and human rights.

Thought Experiment: Superman

• Superman is a non-human (Kryptonian) but widely considered a person due to his actions and moral significance.
• Challenges notion that human DNA equals personhood.

Criteria for Personhood

1. Genetic Criterion

• Proposed by John Noonan.
• Personhood defined by having human DNA.
• Criticized for simplicity and problematic inclusions (e.g., corpses, mouth cells).

2. Cognitive Criteria

• Proposed by Mary Ann Warren.
• Five factors: Consciousness, reasoning, self-motivated activity, capacity to communicate, and self-awareness.
• Rules out fetuses and some young children as persons.

3. Social Criterion

• Personhood recognized by societal recognition or emotional attachment.
• Criticized for potential exclusion based on social neglect or isolation.

4. Sentience Criterion

• Proposed by Peter Singer.
• Based on the ability to feel pleasure and pain.
• Includes some animals, excludes non-sentient beings (e.g., early fetuses, vegetative state humans).

5. Gradient Theory of Personhood

• Personhood is not binary but exists in degrees.
• Personhood can increase or decrease with cognitive development or loss.
• Balances moral consideration for beings with varying degrees of personhood.

Implications

• Definitions of personhood influence major social debates and ethical considerations.
• Encourages reflection on personal beliefs about who deserves moral consideration.

Conclusion

• Multiple criteria for personhood highlight complexity and importance in ethical discussions.
• Importance of thoughtful consideration to include/exclude correct entities from moral community.

Additional Information

• Episode produced in association with PBS Digital Studios.
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Note: This episode of Crash Course was filmed with contributions from a team including Thought Cafe.