Fourth task

Title of the article:  Should Chimpanzees Be Considered ‘Persons’?

 Position or point of view: '' If you are a person, you have the capacity for rights, including the right to habeas corpus relief, which protects you from unlawful confinement. If you are a thing, you do not have the capacity for rights.''

 Argument: ''In February, a group of philosophers, including me, submitted an amicus curiae brief to the New York Court of Appeals in support of legal personhood for Kiko and Tommy. (Members of the group contributed to this article as well.) The court is considering whether to allow the case to proceed.''

 Explanation: ''  The idea of nonhuman personhood might seem confusing at first, since we tend to use the terms “human” and “person” interchangeably. But they are not equivalent. “Human” is best understood as a biological concept that refers, at present, to a member of a particular species, Homo sapiens. In contrast, “person” is best understood as a moral and legal concept that refers to an individual who can hold moral and legal rights.
 Agreement: '' In response, the Nonhuman Rights Project is taking a bold position: It is arguing that if every being must be either a person or a thing, then Kiko and Tommy are persons, not things. I agree, and many other philosophers do, too.''

 Disagreement: ''Another view is that only humans can be persons because only humans have the ability to use language and reason in abstract and sophisticated ways. Kiko and Tommy can do many impressive things, including communicate with others and pursue goals in a creative, intelligent manner. But they cannot do these things in the same kinds of ways that many humans can.''

 Introduction: ''You might be aware that chimpanzees can recognize themselves in a mirror, communicate through sign language, pursue goals creatively and form long-lasting friendships. You might also think that these are the kinds of things that a person can do. However, you might not think of chimpanzees as persons.''

 Background Information: ''The Nonhuman Rights Project does. Since 2013, the group has been working on behalf of two chimpanzees, Kiko and Tommy, currently being held in cages by their “owners” without the company of other chimpanzees. It is asking the courts to rule that Kiko and Tommy have the right to bodily liberty and to order their immediate release into a sanctuary where they can live out the rest of their lives with other chimpanzees.''

 Conclusion: ''After all, we might think that we need to draw the line somewhere. So if we decide not to draw the line at species membership — if we decide to accept that at least some nonhumans can have at least some rights — then it is not immediately clear where to draw it instead, or even, on reflection, whether to draw this particular kind of line at all.''

Comentarios

  1. Natalia Quimbaya Peña20 de julio de 2019 a las 13:50

    Hey there!

    I've just reviewed your post and it was a really interesting reading. When the teacher asked us to do this task I found this piece of news but I literally "turned the page" because it is a very controversial topic, isn't it? However, when you completed the task it was way easier for me to read it and go through it because you just wrote the most important parts of the reading. At the end of the task I realized that this exercise was very reflective as we had to read carefully the whole text (like doing skimming and scanning) and not staying there but understanding what we are reading and attentively choose what we consider let's say an opinion, an argument, an agreement, conclusion, etc. So, this goes beyond what other courses in the English Teacher program makes us do and that is exactly what makes this course worth it out of the other courses in the program. I'd like to know if you actually enjoyed doing this exercises? What is the most reflective activity or task that you've done in this course?

    I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon!

    ResponderEliminar
  2. Laura Rubiano22 de julio de 2019 a las 12:11

    I really loved when you talk about animals' rights, most of us do not really appreciate the love animals give us, so thank you for acknowledging this. I loved also the part when you said chimpanzees can communicate through sign language.

    ResponderEliminar

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