What is a person? This is the question that is the driving force behind the conference called, "Personhood Beyond the Human." It is being held at Yale University, starting December 6, 2013 and going through December 8, 2013. This conference is being sponsored by the Nonhuman Rights Project, an organization that is fighting for the legal rights for members of species other than our own. They want to break through the legal barrier that separates humans from nonhumans, thereby gaining legal "personhood" for nonhuman animals. This process would begin with some of the most intelligent creatures, including chimpanzees, elephants, and dolphins. They believe that until the law affords these animals rights, then humans will continue to treat them as things; they will continue to poach them, experiment on them, and destroy their natural habitat. This conference will discuss the history, science, and philosophy behind personhood and ways to protect animal interests through the establishment of legal precedents and by increasing public awareness.
Do you think that animals, especially those with greater cognitive ability and emotional capacity, should be given legal rights? Or do you think that only humans should be afforded these rights?
Tell me what you think in the comment section below!
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