The Concept Of Personhood : A Of Much Greater Complexity Than The Simple Notion Of Species Identification

Question of Identity: What does it mean to be human? Are humans more important than animals?

First-order desire are starightforward. These are desires simple in nature and resmeble animal desires to eat, sleep, feel comforatable. Second-order desires are complex and arise from analysys, comaprison, and identification. These desires are human beings phenomena which animals do not have. Second order desires not only create notion of accountability for one’s actions, but also can be diferent in meanings and affect human consciences in a variety of ways. The link between two kinds of desires is Frankfurt distinction between a persona and a wanton. A “person” in Frankfrut theory has a second order volition which is a conflict resolution between first order desires and create a will, while a “wanton” has a lack of concern about first order desires “thus incapable of being concerned about his will.”

Human beings, including all their parts, features, abilities, and internal states, are nothing but physical objects. ...Humans are complicated, physical objects, ..and are mere arrangements of physical stuff (Moreland, 1996). The human being in the Naturalistic Worldview is viewed as not much more than a biological machine whose primary purpose is the continuation of the survival of the human race.

I don't trust that we are considered people from the snapshot of origination, on the grounds that by then, we are basically only a group of cells. In fact, we are not people until we are conceived, and really out of the womb, breathing and thinking all alone. As expressed on slide 27 of the powerpoint presentation "Before

A second-order volition is, wanting a certain desire, and wanting that desire to be so strong that it regularly guides our behavior and wins out in action. An example of a strong desire that frequently guides behavior is when someone has a desire to go out on the weekend, they intend to drink alcohol. Therefore, drinking is something a person will have a strong desire to do, and will literally change their behavior when they go out and do so. Some people may not think it is a good time if they don’t get drunk enough so the strong desire is to continuously keep consuming

Throughout the novel, it is clear that there are a number of things that must be considered when looking into what it means to be human. Humans have a number of defining characteristics, whether it be basic human emotions or complex genetic information, humans are unique. With this being said, there

Genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, virtual realities and online incarnations of the self are all elements of our globalised, technology-saturated world that we are accustomed to. As a result of these advancements, the question of what constitutes the ‘human’ has become increasingly complex, as the traditional boundaries between human and non-human have been significantly blurred.

be said about the more inconspicuous idea of human nature? Human instinct/nature alludes to the

What separates the living from the nonliving is perception, being able to take in sensory data, analyze it and, come to a conclusion. What separates humankind from other living or rational beings is the ability to be self-aware; being able to recognize one’s self a being individual and different from others and the environment. For example, animals lack the ability to know they are animals. Take for instance a cockatoo, a rather intelligent bird looking itself in the mirror. Like most animals, the bird lacks the ability to recognize itself and attempts to play with the “other bird”. To the cockatoo, there is another bird when really there is not. Humans have the ability to recognize themselves and be aware of their own being.

There are many theories on what “makes a person.” I have narrowed it down to 3 criteria for personhood. The first principle of personhood is taken from the well-known philosopher, Descartes. He states that in order to be a thinking being you must be a “thinking thing.” In order to think, you must be aware or conscious. This doesn’t only include using rational thought but also, Doubts, understands, affirms, denies, and wills, refuses and other mental processes. We conducted a written test to see whether or not the person has thinking persons qualities. (See appendix 1) Another philosopher, Bernd Wursig, wrote an interesting piece called, “Is A Dolphin a Person?” He believes that being a human is simply a biological concept but being a

According to Deci, Ryan, and Guay (2013) some people believe humans are empty organisms; however, is it assumed by the meta-theory that we are inherently active and inclined by nature toward inner organization. This means that even as children we all inherit an instinct to organize and support our inner self in order to grow successfully. Through the meta-theory, self-determination theory was built (Deci et al, 2013). The heart of the self-determination theory is based around three autonomous behaviors. These three behaviors are intrinsically motivated behavior, extrinsically motivated behavior, and emotion motivated behavior (Deci et al, 2013). Along with the three motivated behaviors, self-determination theory also states that humans have three basic physiological needs; they are competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Deci et al, 2013). Competence is defined as the understanding and desire to interact effectively in one’s environment (Deci et al, 2013). Some people question whether or not competence is a “need” but research say it is because its satisfaction is directly related to psychological wellness (Deci et al, 2013). Autonomy is the necessity of experiencing a sense of choice as one behaves (Deci et al, 2013). According to Deci and the other authors (2013), autonomy is needed from the beginning of birth until the time we take our last breath. The third and final need is relatedness and it is the need for secure emotional bonds between groups in order to feel

Edward Deci and Richard Ryan first developed the concept of self-determination. They thought that to truly understand human functioning and well-being, researchers must assess the agentic nature of human behavior. The main focus of the theory concerns human motivation and personality. People are often motivated by an external factor such as rewards or praise but they are also intrinsically motivated. The intrinsic motivators are not usually externally rewarded but they can create passions. The interplay between extrinsic and intrinsic forces on personality is the concept of self-determination. Self-determination is a trait that is commonly studied by psychologists from all perspectives in order to identify its role in personality.

The second subsystem of motivational theories focuses not on the “inner needs” of individuals as the basis for motivation, but on the ability as human beings to be rational decision-makers. These theories, known as Cognitive Choice Theories, assume that human beings are not controlled by the need to accomplish innate inner desires, but that they employ cognitive processes that enable them to make choices based on their own personal desires to achieve a

When determining what exactly a human being is, I believe that there are a few different perspectives that shape my personal point-of-view. On one end, a human being can be thought of as simply another living organism. We are born, reproduce, live, and pass, not unlike any other organism. While this is true, I also

Personhood, in my own definition of it, is when one is truly their own person. There is no need to feel the obligation to fit into a mold which you may not be comfortable in. You can simply be yourself and you don’t need to worry about whether others will like you. It’s the confidence in knowing you are you and you are capable of anything. It is the feeling of freedom in knowing that despite being alone with your thoughts and self, you are not uncomfortable. Personhood, in the simplest of terms, is you being you and you being okay with that.